Karl-Anthony Towns shared an emotional video on social media Tuesday night in which he revealed that his mother is in dire condition due to the coronavirus.
Towns says his mother is in a medically-induced coma after dealing with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. He said he was sharing the story to educate people about the severity of the situation so that they practice social distancing to avoid spreading and contracting the virus.
In his Instagram video, Towns says he was told early last week that his parents were not feeling well, so he advised them to get medical attention. When there wasn’t improvement, he advised his mom to go to the hospital. Towns says his mother’s fever was high and not improving, and her cough and lungs were getting worse. His dad was released and put into quarantine.
Towns says they thought his mother was improving, but then things went sideways quickly and her lungs got worse. She was put on a ventilator and has been in a medically-induced coma since he says.
“Sharing my story in the hopes that everyone stays at home! We need more equipment and we need to help those medical personnel on the front lines. Thank you to the medical staff who are helping my mom. You are all the true heroes! Praying for all of us at this difficult time,” Towns wrote in his Instagram message.
Towns, 24, plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and went to Kentucky for college, though he is from New Jersey. His mother Jacqueline is Dominican, which has led Towns to play for the Dominican Republic’s national basketball team.
Below is Towns’ video:
