NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns took to social media late Tuesday night and said his mother has been in the hospital for a week, dealing with health issues he believes were caused by coronavirus, ESPN reported.
Update 9:16 a.m. EST March 26: The Timberwolves confirmed Wednesday to ESPN that Towns mother has coronavirus.
His father has also tested positive for the coronavirus, ESPN reported. He is recovering and finishing his quarantine.
Original report: Towns, who plays center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, released an emotional video that revealed his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, is in a medically induced coma and was put on a ventilator.
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“I think it’s important that everyone understands the severity of what’s happening in the world right now with the coronavirus, and I think where my life is right now could help, so I decided to do this video and give you an update of where I’m at,” Towns said in a video he posted to Instagram. "I was told early last week my parents weren’t feeling well. My first reaction to her was to go seek medical attention immediately. There’s no reason to wait, just go to the nearest hospital. And after a couple days of not showing any signs of improvement, I was very adamant on the first day to go to a hospital and seek further evaluation.
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“Specifically, my sister told her she needs to get checked for corona. I don’t think anyone really understood what it was, with deteriorating conditions. She kept getting worse, she kept getting worse, and the hospital was doing everything they can.”
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At first, Towns said his mother began to feel better, but then took a turn for the worse, the network reported.
“She was feeling great,” Towns said in the video. “We talked, and she felt she turned the corner; I felt she was turning the corner. I knew there (were) more days to come, but I felt that we were heading in the right direction. They said that she went sideways and things had went sideways quick. And her lungs were extremely getting worse, and she was having trouble breathing and they were just explaining to me that she had to be put on a ventilator. And she was getting worse, and she was confused by everything, and I’m trying to talk to her about everything and encourage and stay positive, just talk through everything with her.”
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Before his mother became ill, Towns donated $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic to help it accelerate coronavirus testing efforts, the Star-Tribune reported. He said his family urged him to post video, and despite nearly breaking down in tears, Towns said he wanted to raise awareness about the seriousness of COVID-19.
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“This disease needs to not be taken lightly," Towns said in his the video. "Please protect your families, your loved ones, your friends, yourself. Practice social distancing. Please don’t be in places with a lot of people; it just heightens your chances of getting this disease and this disease ... it’s deadly. It’s deadly. And we’re going to keep fighting on my side, me and my family, we’re going to keep fighting this. We’re going to beat it; we’re going to win.”
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