Former NHL star Ron Duguay was found unconscious on Friday, July 24, and transported to a nearby hospital.
“He fainted at home, was unconscious, injured a few parts of his face, and knocked out a few teeth in the fall…this time, it wasn’t from hockey,” Ron’s daughter Shay Thomas shared via Instagram on Sunday, July 26. “He was taken by ambulance to the hospital.”
She added, alongside a video of her father being loaded into the ambulance, “After extensive testing, doctors found that he was extremely dehydrated and had been struggling to eat because of how sick he had been feeling. They also discovered varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer.”
Ron, 69, revealed he had been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer earlier this year.
“Because of the cancer in his liver, along with everything his liver has endured from surgery, chemotherapy, and the pump, pressure has built up inside the liver,” Shay wrote. “That pressure can back up into the stomach and cause bleeding. The ulcer still needs further evaluation, but the bleeding and liver pressure are the major concerns right now.”
Ron’s daughter said he remains “admitted to the hospital and receiving blood transfusions while the doctors continue to monitor him closely.”
“Through it all, our dad remains strong, positive, and trusting God every step of the way,” she added. “We will continue to keep everyone updated. Please keep him covered in prayer.”
Shay provided an update on her father’s condition via her Instagram Story on Sunday night, thanking “everyone who has reached out, checked in, and prayed for my dad.”
“I’m trying to respond to everyone, and if I don’t get back to you today, I will over the next few days,” she added. “Our entire family appreciates you more than you know.”
In an exclusive interview with Us in February, Shay defended her family starting a GoFundMe in the wake of her father’s cancer diagnosis.
“I see so many things where people are like, ‘He has millions of dollars from back in the day. I’m like, ‘What are we talking about?’” Shay said.
Ron played 12 seasons in the NHL from 1977 to 1989, most notably with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.
“His credit card debt was going up and that’s when I told him, ‘Dad, just let me do this. I’m not going to put your name on there. Just let me do this. So many people have asked to help you. You need the help. You’ve helped people. Let them help,’” Shay further explained. “We spoke as a family and we said, ‘We need to make this GoFundMe. We gotta do everything we can. Because if we don’t, it’s going to kill you.’”
