David Woods

david.woods@indystar.com

On Sunday morning, Andrew Smith's wife, Samantha, blogged that doctors had told her "death is imminent" for the former Butler Bulldogs standout.

Samantha, who has been providing constant updates of Andrew's condition via blog and social media throughout his two-year ordeal with cancer, wrote this on Sunday:

"I can’t bear where we’re at and the situation we are in. I can’t comprehend how we’ve gotten to this place. 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 every 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."

Samantha also writes, that despite the prognosis, she still prays for hope and continues to ask for prayers and thoughts.

"I’m sorry to have broken all of your hearts this morning. It is not lost on me how many care so deeply for Andrew. He’s an easy one to love. So again, I ask for prayers for his miraculous healing- and soon. I ask for strength and peace. I ask that you keep Andrew, myself, and our families and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time. God has granted us miracles before in Andrew’s life, He has saved it once before, and we pray and plead that He does it yet again."

You can read the full blog post here.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens missed Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bulls to visit one of his former Butler players, Andrew Smith, who has been battling cancer for two years.

"It's very tough. It's not as tough on me as it certainly is on them. But certainly emotionally very, very challenging," Stevens told reporters in Memphis on Saturday. "It certainly puts things in perspective. I'm glad that I went."

Smith’s family made a renewed request for prayer Wednesday after Smith, 25, was readmitted to the hospital.

His wife, Samantha, posted on Facebook and Twitter:

“Please pray. Pray so very hard. We need a miracle & Andrew asked me to have you all rally with us in prayer in this moment.”

Smith’s father, Curt, also asked on Twitter that people “pray for a miracle” for his son. Smith later thanked Stevens for visiting his son.

Smith's sister, Julie Smith Webster, posted on Facebook:

"Hey all, I hate to be cryptic but my brother Andrew has asked us to ask you all to pray. For healing, for peace, for understanding, for God to be made big in this battle. Drew doesn't ever ask for things but I'm so proud that in dark times he asks for Jesus. His faith is stunning. God's answers will be even more so."

Smith has been largely confined in recent weeks but attended the Dec. 19 game in which Butler defeated previously unbeaten Purdue 74-68 in the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Smith was released from the hospital in time to be home for Christmas. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2014.

In an earlier blog, Samantha said Andrew was readmitted to the hospital following a Nov. 6 bone marrow transplant and that her husband’s condition had worsened. She said the only treatment option left was a clinical study.

Smith led the state in rebounding as a senior at Covenant Christian High School. He was an academic All-American for the Bulldogs and played in the 2010 and 2011 Final Fours.

Call Star reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.