Karl-Anthony Towns, Jordyn Woods’ Boyfriend, Has Lost 7 Family Members to COVID-19

Minnesota Timberwolves player Karl-Anthony Towns is about to begin his sixth season with the NBA franchise. While he prepares to suit up once again, he continues to grieve the deaths of people close to him. Towns has lost seven members to COVID-19, including his mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns.

“I’ve been through a lot, obviously starting out with my mom,” Towns said on Friday, per ESPN. “Last night I got a call that I lost my uncle. I feel like I’ve been hardened a little bit by life and humbled.” Towns previously revealed in late March that his mother was in a medically-induced coma and had been placed on a ventilator. Cruz-Towns later passed away on April 13 at the age of 58.

“I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven months,” Towns continued. “I have a lot of people who have — in my family and my mom’s family — gotten COVID. I’m the one looking for answers still, trying to find how to keep them healthy. It’s just a lot of responsibility on me to keep my family well-informed and to make all the moves necessary to keep them alive.”

Towns has provided several updates on social media about his mother testing positive. He detailed everything that he went through prior to and after her death. He explained that the reason was that he didn’t want people to feel how he did. He said that he didn’t want them to feel as lonely as he did. Another reason is that Towns wanted people to be well-informed.

One of the updates revealed that Cruz Towns’ lungs were getting worse while she remained in ICU. He said that her cough was getting worse and that she was deteriorating. Towns said that he remained positive during the entire process and always hoped that the next medicine would help his mother. “This is the one that’s going to get it done. This mixture is going to get it done,” he explained in one social media post.

The Timberwolves player is now preparing for the upcoming NBA season, which he says will be something he welcomes. Although Towns acknowledged that there would be a challenge due to the absence of his mother. Cruz-Towns was regularly in attendance for her son’s games.

“It always brought me a smile when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play,” Towns said. “It is going to be hard to play. It’s going to be difficult to say this is therapy. I don’t think [playing basketball] will ever be therapy for me again. But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had.”