1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Life is not about how long you live with somebody 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: or how long you have somebody in your life, but 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: it's about the amount of memories and moments you create, 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: because that's what life is all about. You don't remember 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: your whole entire life. You remember moments of your life, 6 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: So you got to try to create as many memorable 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: and positive moments as possible with the ones that you 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: love and care about. 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, Emily and Bodi. 10 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 3: Here you are listening to episode one seventy four of Hurdle, 11 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 3: a wellness focused podcast where I sit down with inspiring 12 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 3: individuals to talk about big ones, tough moments, and everything 13 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 3: in between. On the show, you can expect vulnerability, motivation, 14 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 3: and candid discussions with everyone from top athletes and CEOs 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 3: to aspiring entrepreneurs on what it really takes to follow 16 00:00:59,240 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 3: your passions. 17 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 2: My mission is. 18 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 3: Simple to inspire you to be your best self, move 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 3: with intention, and have some fun along the way. For 20 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 3: today's episode, I am so excited to be bringing you 21 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 3: my conversation with Devin Still. 22 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 2: He is a former NFL player. 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 3: He's also an author, a speaker, a co host of 24 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 3: the Relationships podcast that he has with his wife and 25 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 3: someone that I have been hoping to have the opportunity. 26 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 2: To chat with for some time now. 27 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 3: Devin's story is one of perseverance and a lot of 28 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 3: really hard times. Back in twenty fourteen, Devin was living 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,559 Speaker 3: out his dream of playing football on the pro level 30 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 3: when he got the frightening news that his daughter, Leah 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma and given a fifty fifty. 32 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: Chance to survive. 33 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 3: In today's episode, he talks me through that journey and 34 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 3: what it was like for him to feel absolutely helpless 35 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,119 Speaker 3: at her bedside, how the days felt like they lasted forever, 36 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 3: but also took no time at all. That the first 37 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 3: week in the hospital it felt like an eternity. He 38 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 3: talks to me about what he learned about the importance 39 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 3: of vulnerability and the difficult decisions he had to make 40 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 3: at times to leave his daughter's bedside so that he 41 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 3: could play and keep health insurance to pay for her treatment. 42 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 3: Silver Lining to this story, Leah is now six years 43 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 3: cancer free, which is absolutely, absolutely amazing, and I'm so 44 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 3: grateful to have had the opportunity just to learn a 45 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 3: little bit about what they went through and share that 46 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 3: with all of you. Now, this opportunity came across my 47 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 3: way because Devin recently partnered with United Therapeutics to launch 48 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 3: a new educational initiative called Brathing Neurobetoma. It shines a 49 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 3: light on this particular childhood cancer that many don't know 50 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 3: much about. This episode is a bit shorter than your 51 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 3: usual Monday listen, but like I said, so many unbelievable 52 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 3: takeaways in here, so much perspective that I know I 53 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 3: needed to hear, and I have no doubts is going 54 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 3: to help you keep pushing through the hurdles that are 55 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: coming your way. Listening back to this episode, I'm pretty 56 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 3: sure I said the word wow at least maybe twenty 57 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 3: two times. Make sure you're following along over on social 58 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 3: at Hurdle podcast. I am also over at Emily Badi. 59 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 3: This is the last week of episodes as part of 60 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 3: season six. Hurdle will be taking a one week break 61 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 3: and coming back in a big way on September thirteenth 62 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 3: with a guest that you all have been asking me 63 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 3: for to have on the show for a long long 64 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 3: time now. If you haven't done so yet, do me 65 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 3: a solid. Make sure to rate and review the show 66 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: in Apple Podcasts. 67 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 2: Give it five stars. 68 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 3: Tell the world why you keep coming back week after week. 69 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: And with that, let's get to hurdling today. I am 70 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: sitting down with Devin Still. 71 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 3: He's a pro athlete, he's an entrepreneur, he's a motivational speaker. 72 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 2: You have a podcast. Now, how you doing, man? 73 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 4: I'm doing good? How are you? 74 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: I'm so good. 75 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 3: I'm so excited to be sat down here with you 76 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 3: with you today. Something I didn't say in that intro 77 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 3: just now, you're also an advocate for childhood cancer awareness 78 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 3: after dealing with your own battle within your family when 79 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 3: it comes to your daughter. So why don't we kick 80 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 3: off and talk to me a little bit about what 81 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 3: it means to you today to be an advocate when 82 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: it comes to childhood cancer awareness. 83 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: It means a lot to me and my family because 84 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: what I really think it does is it gives us 85 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: purpose to our pain. Like me and my family, we 86 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: had to endure a lot of pain when Lea was 87 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: first diagnosed. But to look back and see the platform 88 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: that we have created to help other families who are 89 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 1: going through their battle with cancer, it's amazing to be 90 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: able to garnish these type of partnerships where we can 91 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: give families resources to overcome their battle with nor blastoma. 92 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 4: It means a lot to us. 93 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 3: And I know that this happened for you in twenty fourteen, 94 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 3: and when it happened, you returned to the football field 95 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 3: on the back of your jersey wearing the message don't 96 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 3: be scared, be strong. So talk to me about that 97 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 3: message and what that message really means to you. 98 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: Just to get people to understand that we don't always 99 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: control what life throws at us, but we can control 100 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: our attitude towards whatever obstacles that were going through. And 101 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: I know initially, when Lea was first diagnosed with cancer, 102 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: I was scared. When I heard the word cancer, all 103 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: I thought about was death. I thought about what my 104 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: life would be like without Lea. But I think true 105 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: strength is understanding that you know it's okay to be 106 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: vulnerab it's okay to experience those moments and allow yourself 107 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: to have weak moments, but you don't allow those weak 108 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: moments to turn into a weak mindset, and you decide 109 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: to pick yourself up off the floor and continue to 110 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: push forward. 111 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 3: So let's go back and do a little bit of 112 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 3: context and talk me through what your life was like 113 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 3: before cancer became a word that was in your regular vocabulary. 114 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 4: Yeah. 115 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: So I was living out my dream of playing in 116 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: the NFL. Since I was thirteen, I had dreams of 117 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: playing in the NFL, and I worked extremely hard and 118 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: overcame a lot of obstacles in order to make it 119 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: to the NFL. And never did I think that once 120 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: I got there and I was living out my dreams, 121 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: that my family would be hit with something like this. 122 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: But you know, cancer is it knows no race, it 123 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 1: knows no gender, like anybody. It doesn't care about your 124 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: socioeconomic status, like anybody can be impacted by cancer. And 125 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: that's what Li's battle with cancer taught me. So I 126 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: just try to be responsible with the platform that I 127 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: have now to not make it all about me and 128 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: my family, but to let people know what it's like 129 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: for families in general who are battling childhood cancer, specifically 130 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: noual blastoma. 131 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 3: Where were you when you found out that something was 132 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 3: off with your daughter. 133 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 4: I was in Delaware. 134 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: I had flew back from Cincinnati during our off season 135 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: workouts because Leah was having a dance recital that night. 136 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: It was Monday night, June second, and I had put 137 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: her into a dance class and gymnastics that off season, 138 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: and she was finally about to show us all the 139 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: hard work that she had put in over the past 140 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: couple of months. But that morning, on June second, she 141 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: woke up and she wasn't feeling well. She was running 142 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: the fever, she wasn't eating, so I ended up taking 143 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: her to the emergency room and then they sent us 144 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: to a children's hospital, and that's when they broke the 145 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: news to us. 146 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: Wow. Wow, I can't even try to fathom what that 147 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 3: ride to the emergency room must have been like for 148 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 3: you at the onset of this. 149 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 2: What kind of symptoms was she experiencing? 150 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, so initially the drive to the emergency room wasn't 151 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: bad because I had no idea what was going to 152 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: happen once we got there. So she was running a fever, 153 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: and she was very lethargic, and she wasn't eating any 154 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: of her food. So I'm thinking that she may have 155 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: something like an air infection or something right, and I'm 156 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: trying to take her to the doctors with the hopes that, 157 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: you know it's an air infection, they can give her 158 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: some type of medicine to make her feel better. So 159 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: she can go and do her dance beside it, because 160 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: I know how much she was looking forward to this moment. 161 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: So at the first emergency room we went to, they 162 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: took her blood, they ran some test on her, and 163 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: they didn't see anything wrong with her. And then I 164 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: started to tell her about hip pain that she had 165 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: been experiencing, and I thought it came from being a 166 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: gymnastis class falling off the balance beam. So they touched 167 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: her hip and she jumped from them, and they initially 168 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: thought that she just had an infection in her hip socket, 169 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: which sometimes happens to kids who are growing too fast. 170 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: And since I'm not the smallest guy in the rooms 171 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: in most rooms that I go in, I thought that 172 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: my daughter must be just getting my size or getting 173 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: my hype, so I didn't think anything of it. So 174 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: when they sent us to a children's hospital that was 175 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: literally five minutes down the road, they also ran some 176 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: test on her. They came in and told us that 177 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: they think that it can be ten different things, and 178 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: the last thing they said was cancer, And I didn't 179 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: pay it any mind because I'm like, if it's that 180 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: great of a chance of being cancer or be higher 181 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: up on the list, sure enough, they did an ultrasound 182 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: of her abdomen where she was having the pain, and 183 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: they saw the mask in her abdomen. They ran cat 184 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: skins and MRIs and they found out that it was 185 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: stage four nor blastoma. 186 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 2: Wow. Wow, Do you have any history of cancer in 187 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 2: your family? 188 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 4: The first person in my family that I ever know 189 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 4: I had cancer? 190 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. 191 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 3: And I mean it's hard enough, it's hard at any 192 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 3: age right to find out about this, But for you, 193 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 3: as a father to hear this about your daughter, I 194 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:54,079 Speaker 3: would imagine that you probably felt pretty helpless. 195 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 4: Man. 196 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,439 Speaker 1: I remember when the doctor first came out the room 197 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: because after a while, I've been been playing football since 198 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: I was thirteen. I've had a lot of injuries, had 199 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: a lot of MRIs cat skins. I know how long 200 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 1: they're supposed to take. So when we were sitting in 201 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: the lobby and we was in access of an hour 202 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: and thirty minutes, two hours, I prepared myself mentally, so 203 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: I thought to hear the doctors come and tell me 204 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: that Lea had cancer. But when the doctor said that, 205 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: it like, the words hit me different when I actually 206 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: heard it come out of her mouth. And I remember 207 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: her telling me that she was going to go to 208 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: the lobby to tell my parents what they had just 209 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: found out. And I was like, no, no, no, no. 210 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: If they going to hear something like this, it has 211 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: to come from somebody that they love and care about. 212 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: And I remember going to the room and I tried 213 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: to open up my mouth to say it, and I couldn't. 214 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: I just fell down to the ground and I just 215 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: started crying. And I remember my dad like running over 216 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: to me and rubbing my back, asking me what was wrong, 217 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: and I just blurted out the words cancer, and. 218 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 3: They just knew, Oh my god, the chills. It's so 219 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 3: interesting what you just said about preparing yourself to hear 220 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 3: the worst. And that's such an interesting approach, right, because 221 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 3: I do think that someone said to me once, if 222 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 3: you don't have a plan B, then you don't have 223 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:10,559 Speaker 3: a plan. 224 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 2: And I think this is a similar scenario, right. 225 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 3: I mean, obviously, dealing with such awful news, such an 226 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 3: awful thing to prepare yourself for. But had you always 227 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 3: been that way of trying to really like think of 228 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 3: all different aspects of a situation to prepare yourself like that? 229 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that you know, just my football background, 230 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: me going through, you know, different injuries throughout my years 231 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: of trying to make it to the NFL helped me 232 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: to see that you have to be flexible in your 233 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: mindset and you know the goals and stuff that you have. 234 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: So when I realized that my life was going to 235 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: go for a huge change, a huge pivot, when Le's 236 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: MRIs and cat skins was taken so long, that was 237 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: something I tried to do in order to prepare myself for. 238 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: But I don't think you can ever prepare yourself for 239 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: a doctor telling you that your child has cancer. 240 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 2: Definitely not. 241 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 3: So walk us through then what happens over the next 242 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 3: couple months year. 243 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: The first week feels like the first couple months. The 244 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: first week in hospital feels like you've been in there 245 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: forever because you're just trying to get acclimated to the 246 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: new environment that you're in now, Like you're trying to 247 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,559 Speaker 1: catch up on as much information about childhood can to 248 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: about nor blastom, about different treatment option. That's just like 249 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: a whirl when it's thrown at you and you feel 250 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: like you've been in the hospital forever. But after initial shot, 251 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: whereas off you have to make that decision on what 252 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: kind of treatments that you're going to give your child, 253 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: and when you're just thrown into this type of battle, 254 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: you don't really know, you don't have the answers. And 255 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: I didn't feel like during my time that there were 256 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: a lot of resources out there to help me navigate. 257 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: So I learned a lot on Google, and you see 258 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: a lot of scary stuff on Google that it just 259 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: messages with you mentally. Always say and my interviews that 260 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: I wish that they would have had a playbook on 261 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: how to deal with norm blastoma, how to deal with 262 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: childhood cancer, but it wasn't there. So when I heard 263 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: about United Therapeutics and I heard about their book series 264 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: and Zar it takes off and I had a chance 265 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: to read it, it was like, man, there's finally a 266 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: playbook for this. Like when I read it, I felt 267 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: like it was the story of Leah and my family 268 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: going through the battle, and I was like, this is 269 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: exactly what famies who are battling nord blastoma need. 270 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 3: Right And what you're talking about here is the new 271 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 3: launch of Braving Neuroblastoma, which is an educational initiative to 272 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 3: support and provide these comprehensive resources to families impacted by 273 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 3: what drastically impacted your family. 274 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 2: I mean, obviously, no better. 275 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 3: Opportunity or a partnership for you guys after what you've 276 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 3: been through. 277 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly like I said, we tell people all the time, 278 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: Leah six years cancer free at the moment, and just 279 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: because her battle with cancer is over doesn't mean that 280 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 1: the battle against childhood cancer is over. So whenever we 281 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: can find partnerships to really help advance the fight against 282 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: childhood cancer, to fight against nord blastoma, we jump on it. 283 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: And United Therapeutics provided us that opportunity with Brave and 284 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 1: nord Blastomer. 285 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 3: You mentioned a buzzword before that I think is really beautiful, 286 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 3: and that buzzword is vulnerability. What has this experience with 287 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 3: your daughter taught you about the importance of vulnerability? 288 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 4: Vulnerability is true strength. 289 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: I think during sports I learned the opposite, that you 290 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: don't allow people to see your weakness, that if you 291 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: get hurt, you just jump right back up and you 292 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: continue to move. And in the beginning I took that 293 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: approach with my daughter's battle with cancer. It's like, all right, Devin, 294 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: you the man of the house. You got to be 295 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: the rock of the family. Like even in the times 296 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: where you're hurting, where you stressed out, you can't show 297 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: it because you have to give your family that confidence 298 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: that we're going to make it through that. And I 299 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: thought I was doing the right thing. But when I 300 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: was writing my book and I sitting down and I 301 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: was talking to Lea, with my co author, I started 302 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: to tell him about that experiences that I would have 303 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: where Lee was in Philadelphia, I would be in Cincinnati 304 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: and I would FaceTime her, and all I really wanted 305 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: to do was to like hugger and kiss her because 306 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: she would be hooked up to machines, she would be 307 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: getting chemo, her hair would be falling out, and I 308 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: was five hundred miles away trying to get the insurance 309 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 1: to pay for her treatment. So I couldn't be there 310 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: every single day like I wanted to be. So instead 311 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: of me crying on the phone, I would wait till 312 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: we got off the phone and I would start crying. 313 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: And when I was telling this story, Leah looked at 314 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: me and was like, Dad, I was doing the same thing. 315 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: Like I would try to hold it together on FaceTime 316 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: for you and be strong, but I wanted you to 317 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: be there so bad. So when we would hang up 318 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: the phone. I would go into the bathroom inside of 319 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: the hospital room, and I would just break down and cry. 320 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 4: And it was in that. 321 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: Moment that I realized that I had I should have 322 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: been more vulnerable during that time, because it would have 323 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: gave her permission to open up and share some of 324 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: the feelings that she was going experiencing. 325 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 2: What a warrior you were raising. 326 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 3: You mentioned here being over in Cincinnati and having to 327 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 3: be in Cincinnati instead of right next to your baby 328 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 3: girl because of the fact that you needed to have 329 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 3: this health insurance and work and provide for your family. 330 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 3: I mean, I cannot even imagine the internal struggle that 331 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 3: goes hand in hand with not being physically present there 332 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 3: but knowing that you were doing the right thing. 333 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's tough, and so many families have to make 334 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: that decision where you have to leave your child's bedside 335 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: in order to go back to work so that you 336 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: can keep the things going in the house, so you 337 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: can have a home to go home to when you're 338 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: not in the hospital batting cancer. So it's a tough decision. 339 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: But I'm just thankful that there's a lot of resources 340 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: out there now that can help families get through that 341 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: journey of brave and nor blastom. 342 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 3: And it's not even just on that note of vulnerability, 343 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 3: the takeaway of being vulnerable with Leah during that time. 344 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 3: I'm so sure since going public and speaking about your journey, 345 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,400 Speaker 3: which obviously here has a very happy through line. 346 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 2: As you said, she's been six years cancer free. 347 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 3: Now for you, this vulnerability extends to how you carry 348 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 3: yourself today and the conversations that you're having, right, I mean, 349 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 3: has there been an instance or a circumstance. I'm sure 350 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,919 Speaker 3: so many that this vulnerability has come back to you 351 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 3: in such a beautiful and rewarding way. 352 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:23,120 Speaker 4: Yeah. 353 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: So, I would say about a couple of weeks ago, 354 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: I wrote something on Instagram. I had made a comment 355 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,959 Speaker 1: under a post, and I think I was talking about 356 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 1: the struggles that I went through when Lee was battling cancer. 357 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: And I had a dad comment under my comment and say, man, 358 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: I know what you're going through because my child, my daughter, 359 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 1: just got diagnosed last week. So I reached out to 360 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: him and I was like, Hey, send me your number 361 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 1: in my DM so I can reach out to you 362 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: and just be of assistance to you. So he sent 363 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,479 Speaker 1: me the number and I got on the phone with him. 364 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: He's like, I never thought that you were actually call me, 365 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: And I'm like, man, the platform that I have or 366 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: the verification check mark, that that really doesn't mean anything. 367 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 3: Like. 368 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: I'm calling you as another dad who understands what it's 369 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: like to feel hopeless and helpless when your daughter is 370 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: battling in cancer, and I just want to give you 371 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: some insight of what I experienced in case it may 372 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 1: help you along your journey. So me being able to 373 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: be vulnerable on that phone call with another man when 374 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: we're taught to be so strong, especially around other men, 375 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: I think really helped him out on that phone call 376 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: and doing his journey with his daughter battling cancer. 377 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 3: Talk to me about I guess at that point what 378 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 3: was the finish line? Obviously I feel like you cross 379 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:43,719 Speaker 3: a couple of finish lines in a battle like this. 380 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 3: But when did the news start to really start looking 381 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 3: up for your family? 382 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: Interesting, it was about two months after the news look 383 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: very bad. So I had put Lea in two clinical 384 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: trials during her battle with cancer. The first first one 385 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: it didn't work. We ended up getting scans done and 386 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 1: found out that the cancer has spread all over her body. 387 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 1: That initially was just in her hip, and then it 388 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: had spread to her chest, her arms, her neck, and 389 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: it was even in her skull. And if there was 390 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 1: ever a time where I thought I was going to 391 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: lose my daughter, it was during that moment. But I've 392 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,439 Speaker 1: been taughting football that you got to fight for four quarters, 393 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: that you don't give up, no matter how tired you are, 394 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: no matter how much pain you're in, doesn't matter what 395 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: the scoreboard says. You got to give it everything you 396 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: have for four quarters. So that's exactly what we did. 397 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: We put her into another clinical trial. Two months later 398 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: she was in complete remission. So, Wow, it just came 399 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: out of nowhere. It came out of nowhere because I 400 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: thought we were headed for an extremely dark time. 401 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 2: Wow. 402 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 3: Obviously so important for her for you to be on 403 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 3: the other side of that phone or when you could 404 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 3: be with her when it came for you and what 405 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 3: you needed and your support network. Where were you looking 406 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 3: to for that support? 407 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: I didn't have to look too far, to be honest 408 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: with you. First, it started within my household with my wife, 409 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: who was my backbone during that time, because trying to, 410 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: you know, balance football, trying to understand what was happening 411 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: with my life, what my daughter was going through. It 412 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: was tough, but she was there to really speak life 413 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: into me during the times where I felt hopeless. From 414 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,199 Speaker 1: you know, the football fans, the supporters in Cincinnati, to 415 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: the supporters around the league, to the supporters around the world, 416 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: I really didn't have to look far. My family really 417 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 1: stepped up for me during that time, and now it's 418 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,640 Speaker 1: my job to pay that forward to other families who 419 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: are still battling nor blastom or any former childhood cancer. 420 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 3: How have you been able to really reinvent yourself after 421 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 3: I would say this chapter and also after football. I mean, 422 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 3: life has definitely definitely taken some turns for you, many 423 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 3: of which that you did not in the least expect. 424 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: Right, one of the things that really helped me make 425 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: that pivot or make that transition is just learning to 426 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: recycle my pain and use it for greatness, to use 427 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: it for purpose, to use it for impact. Because we 428 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: had to go through a lot, not just with Lia's 429 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: battle with cancer, but from injuries. I faced a lot 430 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: of crazy things in my life, and definitely le Lia's 431 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: battle with cancer was one of the toughest things, but 432 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: just trying to understand why we went through that. Trying 433 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: to find the purpose in our struggle, in our pain 434 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: and use it to make an impact on other people's 435 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: lives have helped me turn that page in my life 436 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: because it's hard when you've dedicated yourself for something for 437 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: thirteen years. It's hard to walk away when you don't 438 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: get the outcome that you wanted to have. But realizing 439 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: that if you're still alive, if you still have breathing 440 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: your body, you still in the game has helped me 441 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: chase after that second phase. 442 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 4: Of my life. 443 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 3: It's interesting because I think a lot of individuals have 444 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 3: a hard time getting to where you're at right Like 445 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 3: they're in the struggle and they don't know how to 446 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 3: seek out that silver lining or maybe in the moment, 447 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 3: they're just having a hard time doing so what do 448 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 3: you say to those people? 449 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 4: You know? 450 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: What's interesting about that is that when when Lea was 451 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,680 Speaker 1: going through her battle with cancer, obviously I grew a 452 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: large platform and a lot of people reach out to 453 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: me for inspiration and motivation to help them get through 454 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: the tough times. But a lot of people still struggle 455 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: because you know that motivation is fickle. It may last 456 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 1: a day, it may last a week. It may last 457 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: a month, but at some point the motivation will die 458 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: out and you will really have to find your reason why, 459 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,640 Speaker 1: Like why what is your purpose in life? Like why 460 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 1: do you continue to get up no matter how many 461 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: times life knocks you down? And a lot of people 462 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: struggle to find that question. So one thing that I 463 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: decided to do this year, which was a crazy idea 464 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: but I did it anyway, is I'm going back to 465 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: school now to get my masters at the University of 466 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania and apply positive psychology so that I can really 467 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: get a theoretical understanding of human flourishing, like how do 468 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: humans overcome tough times that they are dealing within their life, 469 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: So that I can take the practical knowledge and the 470 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: experience that I went through overcoming adversity and combine that 471 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: with the theoretical research and create a type of framework 472 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: to really help people flourish in life despite the adversities 473 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: they face. 474 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 2: Wow, first of all, that's dope. 475 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 3: Also, I just got excited for you at the idea 476 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 3: of like buying school supplies again. 477 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: I just so, I just did some last minute school 478 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: supply shopping with Leah yesterday and I'm in there picking 479 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: up my school supplies too. It was just crazy, like 480 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 1: you're eleven going to middle school. I'm thirty two about 481 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: to go back to school again. It was a crazy experience. 482 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 3: I swear every year going back to school, my father 483 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 3: and I would reenact that scene and like the Staples 484 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 3: commercial where the dad is on the cart and he's 485 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 3: just like going through the aisles and yeah, all totally. 486 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 2: The best time, the best time. 487 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 3: Well, I mean, it's so great to hear that you've 488 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 3: been able to turn your struggles into an inspiration for 489 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 3: so many. You do a fair amount of motivational speaking. 490 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 3: When I ask you if there was a certain perhaps 491 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 3: experience or in person moment that you've had over the 492 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 3: past handful of years where you were motivational speaking, you 493 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 3: were connecting with individuals and someone came up to you. 494 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: Does anything ring a bell? Does anything come to a 495 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 2: highlight for you? 496 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 4: Yeah? 497 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: And this was early on and Leah's diagnosis. This actually 498 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: happened in Cincinnati. I don't remember the venue was I 499 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: was at, but I was there speaking and sharing about 500 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: our journey with cancer, and there was this mom who 501 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: walked up to me and she gave me the biggest 502 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,440 Speaker 1: hug that anybody outside of my family has ever gave 503 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: me before, like the type of hug where they're like 504 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: squeezing close, and I could hear her crying in my ear. 505 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: And when she backed up from the hug, she looked 506 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: at me and she said thank you, And I was like, 507 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: thank you for what? And she was like, when I 508 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: heard one of your interviews and I heard you talk 509 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: about the symptoms that your daughter was experiencing, I realized 510 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: that my daughter was experiencing those same symptoms. So I 511 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: ended up taking her to the hospital and she got 512 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: diagnosed with noora blastoma. But what I'm thinking you for 513 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: is for opening up and sharing that because if you 514 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: never did, I would have never understood what my daughter 515 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: was going through, so I wouldn't have had the chance 516 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 1: to put her in treatment to try to save her life. 517 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 1: And when she said that to me, it hate home 518 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 1: for me that what we were going through wasn't even 519 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: about us. It was about using our platform to really 520 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,919 Speaker 1: shed light on something that needs to be talked about, 521 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: that needs to be spotlighted. More So, when I heard 522 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: that story from her, I knew that we were on 523 00:25:57,760 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: the right path, and I was going to continue to 524 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,680 Speaker 1: use my platform to shed light on north blastoma and 525 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: childhood cancer. 526 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 2: Just wow wow. 527 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 3: I mean today someone goes to your social media page, 528 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 3: they see a professional athlete, a motivational speaker, or someone 529 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 3: with nearly six hundred thousand followers. When you look in 530 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 3: the mirror, what is it that you see looking back 531 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 3: at you? 532 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,239 Speaker 4: A proud dad. That's all I see that. 533 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: That's what I want to spend my life doing, is 534 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: just showing people the importance of creating memories and moments 535 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: with your family members. Like all the other accolades is cool, 536 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: the professional accolades are cool, but what are we really 537 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:35,159 Speaker 1: here for? 538 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 4: Right? 539 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: And I realize that when Lee was battling cancer, when 540 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: I thought that my time may be cut short with her, 541 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: that life is not about how long you live with 542 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: somebody or how long you have somebody in your life, 543 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: but it's about the amount of memories and moments you create, 544 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: because that's what life is all about. You don't remember 545 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: your whole entire life. You remember moments of your life, 546 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: so you got to try to create as many memorables 547 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: and positive moments as possible with the ones that you love. 548 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 4: And care about. 549 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 3: Aside from going back to school, what else excites you 550 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:09,159 Speaker 3: right now, right. 551 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: Now, what decites me the most is this partnership because, 552 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: like I said, what United Therapeutics and Brave in nord Blastoma. 553 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 1: I'm excited to know that there's more resources for families 554 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 1: to continue to fight against childhood cancer, to continue to 555 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: overcome this huge hurdle that they're facing in their life. 556 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 1: So being able to use my platform to spot like 557 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: this and everything that it would do to help out 558 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 1: families in the battle with nord blastoma is huge for us. 559 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,200 Speaker 3: Right now, Devin, you have an opportunity to offer the 560 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,200 Speaker 3: guy who is that first week in the hospital, getting 561 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 3: bad news after bad news after bad news, going through 562 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 3: the most unexpected hurdle moment that he could probably ever 563 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 3: go through with his daughter. 564 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 2: What do you tell him right now. 565 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: That I understand that every family's experience with nord blastoma 566 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,639 Speaker 1: or with childhood cancer is different, but I can empathize 567 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: with what you're going through because a lot of times, 568 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: as men were taught to be the protector of our 569 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: family and our children, and when your child is battling 570 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: something like cancer or nord blastoma, you feel like you 571 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: failed as a man and as a father because you 572 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:32,719 Speaker 1: can't protect them for what they're going through, but I 573 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: need them to understand that your presence alone will bring 574 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 1: healing to your family, for your baby girl, your son. 575 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: You being there to let them know that they don't 576 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: have to go through this battle with cancer alone is 577 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: the best thing that you can do for them. You 578 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: taking care of yourself mentally and physically, it's the best 579 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: thing that you can do for them, because you can't 580 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: show up for somebody if you drained yourself and to 581 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: be able to use the resources that are available before you. 582 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: Don't allow your pride to get in your way to 583 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: receiving help. Because you can't make it through this battle 584 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: with cancer alone. There's no possible way. So accept the 585 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: help that people offer you, reach out, ask for resources. 586 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: Visit Bravennoord blastoma dot com so you can get an 587 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: understanding of what your family is about to go through 588 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: so that you can better prepare yourself. 589 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 4: For the journey. 590 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 3: I love that sentiment not to blame yourself, really really 591 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 3: beautiful takeaways today. I'm so grateful for your time, Devin. 592 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 3: How do the hurdlers follow along with you? How do 593 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 3: they keep up with you? And Leah give us all 594 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 3: the details yeah. 595 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 1: So the best way to keep up with me and 596 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: my family is on Instagram. My name on there is 597 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 1: still in the game. Or you can visit my website 598 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: Devinsteel dot. 599 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 3: Com beautiful, I'm over at Hurdle Podcast and at Emily 600 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 3: Abadi another hurdle conquered. 601 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 2: Catch you guys next time.