(May 30, 2015) – Devon Still’s daughter Leah had a “serious complication” after a stem cell procedure Friday, according to the Bengals player’s Instagram account.
Leah, 5, has been battling neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer, since June 2014.
In March, the Stills announced that Leah was cancer-free, but she began stem cell treatments at the beginning on May to ensure the cancer would not return.
On Friday night, Still posted to his Instagram account, “I need some prayers sent up for Leah tonight! We hit a pretty serious complication from the stem cell transplant called VOD. They caught it early so hopefully it gives the doctors a better chance of stopping it from getting aggressive. As you can imagine our minds are all over the place but we’re going to try and remain positive.”
VOD is an acronym that stands for “veno-occlusive disease,” which according to the National Cancer Institute is a complication of high-dose chemotherapy given before a stem cell transplant marked by small veins in the liver being obstructed.
