Cincinnati Bengals Sell Nearly 15K Devon Still Jerseys, Pulling In $1.25M For Charity
The most popular name in Cincinnati is now across the backs of 14,495 people. Just over a month after deciding to sell the jersey of Bengals linebacker Devon Still to raise money for charity, the team has sold $1.25 million-worth.
The idea came as a result of Still’s own daughter suffering a neuroblastoma on her abdomen — a cancerous tumor that develops from immature nerve cells. The 4-year-old recently underwent a successful surgery to remove the tumor and now is up against chemotherapy to remove any remaining traces of cancer. All proceeds from the jersey sales will go to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to help fund research and assist other patients and their families.
"We applaud Devon for his openness in sharing his daughter's challenging story nationwide through media and social media," Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn said in a news release last month.
Doctors initially gave Leah a 50/50 chance at survival, a grave diagnosis given the circumstances for her particular cancer. Neuroblastomas are separated into four distinct stages, beginning at stage 1 — when the cancer is visible and localized — all the way up to the branched-out and difficult-to-treat stage 4. Leah had stage 4 cancer.
Following the diagnosis, Still took time off from football to concentrate on caring for his daughter full-time. A month after her surgery, Leah is now undergoing a combination of radiation treatment and chemotherapy to clear out any remaining cancer from her bone marrow. Already the support for Leah and other families has been encouraging, Blackburn said.
“We … applaud the response of our fans and many others to the jersey sales. The welfare of Devon and Leah are foremost in our minds, but we are proud and excited to be able to be a part of something that can help advance the cause of fighting childhood cancer."
The Bengals will present its donation to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center after the first quarter during its Nov. 6 game against the Cleveland Browns.