Leah Still is going to get to see her dad play in a professional football game for the first time this week. The 4-year-old, who is battling cancer, is feeling good enough to leave the Philadelphia hospital where she is undergoing treatment and travel to Cincinnati to see her dad, Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still, play Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.
And it seems Leah has big expectations for her dad's game performance - not to make a big play, necessarily, but to make sure he does a dance on the field.
"I got to do something for her," Still told ABC affiliate WCPO Cincinnati. "You got to make a play. You can't just be out there dancing for no reason."
Leah was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in June. She had a tumor removed in September and continues to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. Earlier in the season, the Bengals kept her dad on the team to ensure that he would continue to receive the health benefits necessary for Leah's care.
"It's going to be emotional knowing that she's there," Still said. "It's definitely going to be an emotional game, but there's going to be a lot of excitement knowing she's there."
Leah will watch the game from one of the stadium boxes and is expected to participate in a ceremony where the team will present a check for more than $1 million to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati for pediatric cancer treatment and research. The money was raised through sales of Still's jersey.