Former NFL running back Ronnie Hillman, 31, is in hospice care battling a rare form of cancer, former teammates and family members said.
Earlier this year, Hillman, who played for the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015, was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma, which is a “rare but highly aggressive neoplasm form of cancer that primarily affects young African Americans with sickle cell trait," his family said in a statement, per TMZ. Hillman's family said the former RB has been receiving cancer treatments but efforts have proved unsuccessful thus far.
He is currently being kept comfortable in hospice care, according to the family.
“As a family, we hope beyond hope, and we have faith that can move mountains,” the family said in a statement. “We also understand that God’s will is not always ours; therefore, we as a family subject ourselves to the will of our Almighty God.
“We need your prayers, but we also need your understanding and respect for Ronnie and our family’s privacy at this time,” they added.
Orlando Franklin, one of Hillman's former Broncos teammates, asked for prayers as the RB battles rare cancer.
“#BroncosCountry please pray for Ronnie Hillman he’s in hospice and not doing well,” Franklin tweeted on Tuesday (December 20). “Lord please have mercy, please. This ain’t fair. Please god, please.”
Derek Wolfe, another previous teammate of Hillman’s, also spoke out about the 31-year-old's condition.
“He’s got bad liver cancer and he’s in hospice now,” Wolfe said on 104.3 The Fan in Denver. “It’s not looking good. He has pneumonia and I’m putting it out there just to send positive vibes his way.”
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