Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is urging fans on social media to protect themselves from the coronavirus after his mother was placed in a medically induced coma as she battles the coronavirus.
Towns said in an emotional video posted to his Instagram page on Tuesday that both of his parents went to the hospital after feeling ill for a few days.
While his father was discharged to quarantine, the health of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, "kept getting worse" because her cough and fever weren't improving.
The Timberwolves confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that Cruz has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
"She just wasn't getting better," the 24-year-old Towns said. "Her fever was never cutting from 103, maybe go down to 101.9 with the meds, and then immediately spike back up during the night. She was very uncomfortable. Her lungs were getting worse, her cough was getting worse. She was deteriorating.
"She was deteriorating -- and we always felt that the next medicine would help. This is the one that's going to get it done. This mixture is going to get it done."
Towns said in the video that he hopes his story helps others during the coronavirus pandemic and that "everyone understands the severity of what's happening in the world right now."
Towns' team issued a statement on Wednesday that read: "The Timberwolves organization extends its support and prayers to Jackie and the entire Towns family during this difficult time. Jackie is a part of our extended family and we, along with the rest of the NBA and its fans, will fight this battle with the Towns family.
"We are proud of Karl's commitment to helping others, most recently with his donation of $100,000 to Mayo Clinic to further testing for COVID-19. Our organization is supporting all of our players' and staff's families to ensure they are up to date on how to stay safe, and where the nearest testing facilities are located. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by this pandemic."
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 460,000 people around the world had been diagnosed with the disease, with more than 20,800 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.
--Field Level Media
