Sarah Palin Makes Emotional Plea for Prayers

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is turning to faith and asking Americans to pray for her longtime boyfriend, former NHL star Ron Duguay, as he continues a difficult battle with Stage 4 colon cancer.

The 62-year-old Republican and former vice presidential nominee shared an emotional photograph on Instagram on Sunday, October 18, showing herself holding Duguay’s hand as he lay in a hospital bed at City of Hope, a cancer treatment center in Southern California.

“Prayers for Ron Duguay are so appreciated,” Palin wrote alongside the touching image.

In another hospital photograph, Palin shared a message reflecting her faith during an uncertain time.

“I know God can. I’m asking him to,” the message began, before expressing her determination to continue trusting God regardless of the outcome.

The public appeal comes as Duguay, 69, faces serious health challenges from colon cancer that has spread to his liver. His family revealed the diagnosis in February, although he had been battling the disease since 2024.

Palin is not the only loved one asking for prayers. Earlier this month, Duguay’s daughter, Shay Thomas, shared a heartbreaking photograph of herself kneeling beside her father’s hospital bed.

“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,” Thomas wrote on October 11. “And I know so many love him so much. Please keep our dad in your prayers.”

The family’s latest appeals have raised concerns about Duguay’s condition, although they have not publicly provided a detailed new prognosis.

His cancer battle has already brought several frightening setbacks. In July, the former hockey star collapsed at his Florida home and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered he was severely dehydrated and experiencing additional medical complications.

The fall also caused dental injuries, adding another painful chapter to an already exhausting health struggle.

Throughout his illness, Palin has remained closely involved in his care despite the considerable distance separating their homes. The couple began dating in 2022, with Palin based in Alaska and Duguay living in Florida.

Thomas previously told Us Weekly that Palin has gone out of her way to support not only her father but their entire family.

“She’s been involved and incredibly supportive in my dad’s entire journey,” Thomas said.

She explained that Palin has been willing to catch overnight flights whenever the family needed help. During one of Duguay’s previous surgeries involving his colon and liver, Palin reportedly remained at the hospital for five days.

“She’s been a huge source of support. Not only for my dad, but for our entire family,” Thomas said.

For longtime hockey fans, Duguay remains one of the most recognizable players from the New York Rangers’ past.

Selected 13th overall in the 1977 NHL Draft, the Canadian-born forward helped lead New York to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final and earned an All-Star appearance in 1982, the same season he scored a career-high 40 goals.

He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings before retiring in 1989. Over 12 NHL seasons, he recorded 274 goals and 346 assists in 864 regular-season games.

His family established a GoFundMe fundraiser earlier this year to help cover mounting medical expenses as he underwent treatment.

Now, with another hospital stay bringing renewed concern, Palin and Duguay’s children are united in a simple request: continued prayers for the former hockey star as he faces one of the toughest battles of his life.