Former NHL star Ron Duguay gave fans an update about his health journey after revealing he had been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.
Duguay, 68, detailed part of his “upgraded” treatment plan in a video via his Instagram Story on Sunday, March 1.
“Most of you are aware of the benefits of Vitamin C. Most people may take a gram a day, maybe two,” Duguay said, showing his arm hooked up to an IV in a doctor’s office.
He continued, “I’m doing as much as 75 grams. I’ve been doing 50. My body has been tolerating it. So now I’m moving it up to 75. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Get stronger. Build up my immune system so I can get out of here. I want to see the finish line! Let’s go!”
Duguay was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2024, but kept it private until the ongoing financial burdens led to his family launching a GoFundMe last week.
Shay Thomas, Duguay’s daughter, exclusively told Us Weekly that convincing her father to ask for help was “a fight for many months.”
“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,’” Thomas said.
She added, “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.’”
Thomas said her father “had nothing left” when the family resorted to launching the fundraiser, which has since raised over $112,000 at the time of this story’s publication.
“He does not like asking for help, even when I have to ask him about his finances,” Thomas said. “I can tell when he’s stressed out. I know he hasn’t been able to work. He was able to work comfortably before he got sick and he was able to provide for himself. He was fine. But once he was sick, he couldn’t even walk. He could barely eat. It was so bad. He wasn’t able to work.”
Thomas also responded to some backlash the GoFundMe has faced, with some critics questioning how Duguay, who played 12 seasons in the NHL, had run out of money.
“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?’” she said.
Thomas added, “I never understand some of these people with these crazy opinions. Most people don’t make them unless they need to. Who wants to have an illness where you have this financial strain? You’re desperate, in a sense, and that’s where we’re at.”
Duguay’s daughter gushed about the assistance of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who has been in a relationship with her father for years.
“She’s been involved and incredibly supportive in my dad’s entire journey,” Thomas told Us. “Their relationship can obviously be challenging because they live long distance. She’s in Alaska, he’s in Florida. But they have always remained close.”
Thomas continued, “If we ever need her for something, she would take a red eye flight on short notice. If we have stuff with our kids and couldn’t make it — for example, my dad had a surgery where they went into his colon and liver — and she stayed with him in the hospital for five days. She’s been a huge source of support. Not only for my dad, but for our entire family.”
