Former Butler basketball star Andrew Smith will die from cancer according to a blog post by his wife Samantha.
Samantha posted a long blog to her website, and said the following describing the medical situation with her husband:
I can’t wrap my head around the fact that there is nothing left to do for Andrew except tell him how much I love him, hold his hand and be with him for very second we have left together. The doctors tell me death is imminent and that Andrew is going to die from this disease. There are no treatments, no clinical trials…there is nothing left to do. I struggle to grasp what they’ve told me and I spend my nights crying and moaning in pain as I think about losing the one I hold most dear and close to my heart- my husband. He is afraid of death and I am afraid of life. I’m afraid of life without Andrew Smith by my side as my spouse, my protector, my best friend, my everything. My heart breaks into a million pieces thinking of all who would lose so much if he goes- a friend, a son, a brother, a teammate, and an inspiration to us all.
Smith, who was a key player in Butler’s back to back trips to the NCAA championship game, has battled non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer since 2014.
His former coach Brad Stevens missed his recent head coaching duties for the Boston Celtics so that he could spend times with Smith before he passes away. (RELATED: Celtics Coach Missed Thursday’s Game To See Former Player Fighting Cancer)