“This disease should not be taken lightly.”
Those words of warning came from NBA superstar Karl-Anthony Towns today in an emotional video in which the Timberwolves All-Star revealed his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, is in a coma at the hospital.
“Things went sideways quickly,” Towns explained, fighting back emotion and issuing a call to everyone watching: “Please protect your family, your loved ones, your friends, yourself, practice social distancing… it’s deadly.”
Towns said his father is at home in mandatory quarantine and unable to be with his wife at this time. That’s one of the more gut-wrenching aspects of those suffering from this illness — often times the person must suffer alone.
Towns told his Instagram audience that his mother was “deteriorating daily” and that every time she seemed to make progress, things went “sideways quickly.”
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She’s now on a ventilator and resting in a medically induced coma. Towns, compelled by a desire for the realities of Coronavirus to hit home, explained how his mother was starting to get “confused by everything” and was “telling me things I didn’t want to hear.”
Towns praised the healthcare workers treating his mother as the “true heroes” during this difficult time.
“It’s difficult. Very difficult for me and my family to say the least. She’s in a medically induced coma… it’s rough,” Towns said. “Day by day we’re seeing how it goes… I wanted to make this video so people understand the severity of this disease is real. This disease should not be taken lightly. Please protect your family, your loved ones, your friends, yourself, practice social distancing… it’s deadly.”
Towns says his family is doing the best they can to stay positive and fight as best they can. “We’re gonna keep fighting this. We’re gonna beat it. We’re gonna win. I’m not gonna quit at any time, and neither will my mother. She’s the strongest woman I know. I know she’ll beat this and we’re gonna rejoice when she does.”
Despite being in the midst of a terrible situation personally, Towns offered up his prayers for others who may be watching his video. “Send my love to all your families, praying for every single one of you guys. I’m keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers.”
Please do add the Towns family to your prayer list!