On Sunday, to commemorate Mother's Day, Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns shared a tribute to his late mom with a chunk of his Instagram Story. It came in the form of a screenshot from a text exchange that the two had shared this past Christmas. In that message, sent just 20 minutes into that holiday, Towns' mom wrote:
"My Son it seemed like I closed my eyes for just a moment and suddenly a man stood where a boy used to be, I (may) not carry you in my arms anymore but I always carry you in my heart. You are the sweetest present life has ever given me."
Here's a freeze frame:
Less than a month ago, Towns' mother, Jacqueline, passed away from complications related to the coronavirus. Towns had first revealed in March that she had been placed into a medically-induced coma. At that time, he also sent out a plea for people to take the virus seriously.
"I think it's important that everyone understands the severity of what's happening in the world right now with the coronavirus, and I think where my life is right now could help, so I decided to do this video and give you an update of where I'm at," Towns said. "I've just been getting updates on her condition. It's rough, and day by day we're just seeing how it goes. We're being positive; I'm being very positive. So I'm just keeping the strength up for everybody and my family."
She ended up dying on April 13, which led to the Towns family releasing a statement expressing their grief and also explaining that Towns' dad contracted the disease too, but eventually recovered.
"The Towns family is heartbroken by the untimely passing of Jacqueline Towns due to complications as a result of COVID-19," that statement said. "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.
"The Towns family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support they have received during this very difficult time," the statement added. "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."
