Coco Austin Speaks out on Dad’s COVID-19 Diagnosis, Says 2 Other Family Members Also Infected

Shortly after Ice-T revealed that his father-in-law Steve Austin was in the hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, Coco Austin took to Instagram to give her fans an update on her father’s well-being. On Instagram, Austin posted a couple of photos of herself and her father, along with a lengthy message about how her dad and two other members of her family are battling COVID-19. Her caption also included a message for anyone who isn’t taking this pandemic seriously.

Austin began her caption by detailing that her father rarely goes to the doctor and that he doesn’t even take aspirin for any pain. However, due to his COVID-19 diagnosis, he is currently in the hospital in Arizona because he is having trouble breathing as he deals with the respiratory illness. “My, tough as an ox dad, the one that never goes to the doctor, the one that doesn’t even take tylenol for pain, the one that never EVER gets sick, where talking about the original Steve Austin (cuz thats his real name) is in the ICU requiring oxygen for #covid19,” Austin explained. “He is having trouble breathing and feels like he is being stabbed with pins throughout his body.”

Austin then issued a message directly to those who believe that a similar situation can’t happen to them. She also shared that two of her aunts have been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well. She continued, “For all the people that say it cant happen to your family..think again ..Sending happy thoughts to my father and all the families that are dealing with it, also sending prayers to 2 of my aunts who also have covid seems they all got it at the same time.” Austin ended her message by expressing her gratitude to Arrowhead Hospital for taking care of her father as he battles the illness.

Prior to her post, Austin’s husband Ice-T posted a photo of his father-in-law in the hospital donning an oxygen mask. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star wrote that Austin’s father checked into the hospital on Monday. His hospitalization comes amidst rising cases of coronavirus in Arizona. As PEOPLE noted, Arizona is one of the states in America that has seen a rise in the number of coronavirus cases. Additionally, the state is reportedly close to running out of hospital beds as there are more than 1,400 hospitalizations in Arizona, their highest recorded number yet.