National Football League

Leah Still shares suite with Lauren Hill at special first NFL game

Published Nov. 6, 2014 9:17 p.m. ET

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A special fan was in attendance during Thursday night's game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still's 4-year-old daughter, Leah, attended her first NFL game and watched her dad play in person for the first time. And she got one of the biggest cheers on a cold, windy night at Paul Brown Stadium.

Leah, who was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma in June, was on the field after the first quarter for a ceremony in which the Bengals presented a $1.34 million check to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Funds were raised from sales of Devon Still's No. 75 jersey, of which more than 15,000 were sold in support of cancer research.

''I would describe it as an emotional roller coaster,'' Still said after Cleveland dominated in a 24-3 victory. ''Seeing my daughter in the pregame with all the excitement and then seeing her on the field receiving the check and just seeing the joy in her face, I was just so proud of the perseverance she showed to raise that money.''

Leah had successful surgery to have the tumor removed from her abdomen in September and Still has been posting updates of his family's story on social media. Daddy and daughter shared an adorable moment before the game.

Still also posted pictures on Twitter of Leah meeting Bengals cheerleaders.

Leah Still is held by her grandmother during the first quarter at Paul Brown Stadium.

She was kept company first by grandma while dad was on the field, and later by Lauren Hill, who joined her in a suite. Hill, the Cincinnati Mount St. Joseph's basketball player whose courageous battle with a rare brain tumor has captured the attention of the sports world, got a show of support from Devon Still last month when he visited her at practice, then again on Sunday when he wore "Lauren Strong" on his eye black strips instead of his usual "Leah Strong." That same night, Hill made her highly-publicized debut and scored a pair of layups. Afterward she said "I've never felt so good in my entire life."

Still's eye black message was back to "Leah Strong" on Thursday, and police officers working the game wore his uniform No. 75 on their backs.

Still said he got emotional when he saw his daughter on the scoreboard, 'but somehow I was able to play the game.''

''The most emotional I got was when I looked up and saw her and Lauren Hill and saw they got a chance to meet.''

Thursday was a storybook night — at least until the game started, and the Browns delivered a 24-3 beatdown of the Bengals.

Leah flies back to Philadelphia on Saturday and will have more radiation treatment next week. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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