The Minnesota Timberwolves shared a statement saying that Jacqueline Towns, mother of Karl-Anthony Towns, passed away following complications from COVID-19.
Jackie, as she was affectionately known by her loved ones, was the 58 year old mother of NBA star Karl- Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves player revealed that his mother was sick in an emotional post on Instagram towards the end of March. He tearfully explained that his mother was currently battling COVID-19 and was not only on a ventilator but she was also in a medically induced coma.
Towns father who also contracted the virus managed to recover.
Statement from a Towns Family Spokesperson:
“The Towns family is heartbroken by the untimely passing of Jacqueline Towns due [to] complications as a result of COVID-19.
Jackie, as she was affectionately known among family and friends, had been battling the virus for more than a month when she succumbed on April 13th.
Jackie was many things to many people – a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. The matriarch of the Towns family, she was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, faring, and extremely loving person, who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palpable and her energy will never be replaced.
The Towns family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support they have received during this very difficult time. They would like to thank the medical warriors at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and JFK Medical Center, who fought for Jackie day in and day out, and helped Karl Sr. recover from the same virus that took Jackie’s life.
The family is devastated by their tremendous loss, and respectfully requests privacy in this time of great mourning.”
Comforting thoughts and support flowed from the basketball world on social media following the devastating news.
To date, COVID-19 has claimed nearly 30,000 lives in the United State alone. Towns made a $100,000 donation to the Mayo Clinic in an effort expedite testing for the virus prior to his mother contracting the disease. This virus has been especially deadly in New York/New Jersey where the Towns family resides.
Towns, is a member of a very tight-knit family and he and his mother were especially close. So close that he chose to play for the Dominican Republic team instead of Team USA to honor his mother Jackie’s roots. Towns made it a point to have his family travel with him everywhere and his mother was always right by his side as his #1 fan.
Towns shared his story in hopes that people would take the disease more seriously and take the necessary steps to ensure their safety and the safety of their loved ones.