Former New York Rangers forward Ron Duguay is in the hospital after being discovered unconscious at his home last week, according to an announcement made by his daughter, Shay Thomas.
Thomas took to Instagram on Monday to share what happened. “On Friday, 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. “He was taken by ambulance to the hospital.”
According to Thomas, medical staff determined that Duguay was “extremely dehydrated and had been struggling to eat because of how sick he had been feeling.” Doctors also found varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer.
Duguay, 69, had publicly revealed in February that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer the previous year. He has since undergone surgery that resulted in the removal of his appendix and gallbladder.
Thomas explained the connection between his cancer and the latest health crisis: “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. 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.”
Despite the serious circumstances, Duguay appeared to keep his sense of humor intact. On Monday, he posted a photo on Instagram showing his missing teeth with the caption, “Found my teeth on the bedroom floor,” alongside a picture of the teeth themselves.
As of Monday, Thomas provided an update on the GoFundMe page set up to help cover medical expenses, saying her father remained hospitalized and was receiving blood transfusions. By Tuesday morning, the campaign had raised more than $160,000.
Duguay, a first-round pick selected 13th overall in the 1977 NHL Draft, spent parts of eight of his 12 professional seasons with the Rangers. Over his career, which spanned from 1977 to 1989, he accumulated 620 points — 274 goals and 346 assists — across 864 games with the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings.
