Daughter of Sarah Palin's Cancer-Stricken Hockey Star Boyfriend Pleads for Prayers in Heartbreaking Health Update
Ron Duguay is battling Stage 4 colon cancer.
Oct. 12 2026, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
The daughter of Sarah Palin's cancer-stricken hockey star boyfriend has called for prayers and support as her father fights for his life, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Ron Duguay, 69, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer over a year ago, but the disease has since spread to his liver.
'We Need All the Prayers We Can Get'
Ron Duguay's daughter posted her latest message on Sunday, October 11.
His daughter, Shay Thomas, shared a heartbreaking Instagram post on Sunday, October 11, writing: "I wasn't planning on posting anything, but I believe in the power of prayer, and right now, we need all the prayers we can get. And I know so many love him so much.
"Please keep our dad in your prayers."
Shay shared the message alongside a photo of her kneeling beside her dad's hospital bed with her hand on his lap.
The former New York Rangers star first fell ill in October 2024 after shoveling snow at Palin's Alaska home.
Sarah Palin and Ron Duguay 'Very Close'
Duguay's daughter has given her dad's relationship with Palin her blessing.
Testing confirmed he had Stage 4 cancer, and he secretly spent the next months fighting the illness in private before his daughters encouraged him to launch a GoFundMe page to raise money for a wealth of alternative treatments he's considering.
Speaking about Palin, Duguay told a publication: "I go there at different times.
"I help with her landscaping in the summer, and I help in the winter, clearing a little bit of snow, so I happened to be there in October... but unfortunately, I wasn't feeling myself, so I had to leave."
Duguay’s daughter has revealed how her father and Palin are "very close," but they "haven't been able to see each other as much lately because of what my dad is going through, and Sarah also has obligations caring for her son, Trig, who requires additional care."
GoFundMe Page Raises Over $167,000
Money from GoFundMe may go towards alternative treatments.
The hockey legend says he lost both his gallbladder and his appendix during the course of his treatment.
After initially setting a goal of $26,000, the family has raised over $167,000 for Duguay from his GoFundMe, meaning finding alternative treatments – including centers in either Mexico, Russia, or Germany – could become a realistic opportunity.
Thomas said: "My dad never wanted to ever mention the stress of his finances. But I could feel it and see it, and the things that he was going through in the conversations that we were having.
"With his numbers jumping up again, we just felt as a family that we needed to reach out. And so many people were asking how they could help.”
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Duguay suffered a horror fall last June at his home.
In June, Duguay suffered severe facial injuries after fainting in his house.
Shay revealed the alarming details in a heartbreaking social media post, sharing a video of her father being loaded into an ambulance.
"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," she wrote on Instagram.
"He was taken by ambulance to the hospital."
She explained that extensive medical testing revealed severe underlying complications tied to his ongoing cancer battle.
