Karl-Anthony Towns Opens Up About Mother's Death From COVID-19 Complications

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns shared an emotional video discussing his mother's death from COVID-19 complications and coping with the loss.

Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns opened up about his mother's death from COVID-19 complications and coping with the loss in a YouTube video titled "The Toughest Year of My Life." 

An emotional Towns detailed how his mother, Jackie Cruz-Towns, was in a medically induced coma and placed on a ventilator while dealing with COVID-19. She later suffered a stroke, and Towns's father, Karl Sr., called him to break the news.

"He was just like, 'She's gone. She had a stroke during the night and she's gone.' I said, 'Has she taken a step back? What's the next step?' Because in my mind, I'm just thinking about [next] steps," Towns said. "He had just told me those doctors thought there was no way for meaningful life from her after this stroke."

Towns said he made the difficult decision to take his mother off life support and had to inform his family of the news.

"It just got to a point where it was harming her," Towns said. "I gave her all the time, and I made the hardest decision you can make. I called my sister, I told her what the decision I made was. You've got to live with that. I made that decision."

He added that family members called his mother remotely and shared stories when she died.

"She was sent off with laughter," Towns said.

In March, Towns revealed that both of his parents tested positive for the virus. After his father recovered, his mother's condition continued to worsen. Towns shared an emotional video on social media urging people to not take the virus "lightly." 

Jackie Cruz-Towns died on April 13 following her experience with the virus and complications.

The 24-year-old Towns said he's still figuring out how to move forward after losing his mother.

"I think for me, I think if I was to say how am I coping and how am I healing from this, I'm trying to heal myself through others," he said. "I'm trying to do as much as I can for my sister and my father. Trying to take care of my friends, and I'm trying to heal myself through them."