The family of Ron Duguay is opening up about his difficult battle with advanced cancer, sharing how they’ve supported one another — including his partner, Sarah Palin — through the ups and downs.
Duguay’s daughter, Shay Thomas, revealed just how serious things have been.
“He’s been pretty close to death a few times,” she told Page Six.
Spread to his liver and beyond
According to Shay Thomas, her father initially felt completely fine before his Stage IV colon cancer diagnosis in November 2024. The first warning signs appeared while he was visiting Palin in Alaska.
She explained, “He was… doing gardening work and his stomach was getting really gassy and he was getting really tired.” She added, “He was noticing he had to nap and was getting uncomfortable. He flew back to Florida to see one of his regular doctors and they did blood work and noticed his cell count was off.”
Doctors later confirmed the cancer had spread to his liver and beyond.
Since then, Duguay, 68, has undergone multiple treatments, including surgeries to remove part of his appendix and his gallbladder, chemotherapy, and the placement of a port in his liver.
