Jacqueline Cruz, Mother Of Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns Dies From COVID-19 Complications

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Jacqueline Cruz, the mother of Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns passed away Monday after a month-long battle with COVID-19 the team announced.

“Jackie was many things to many people – a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.” The statement reads, “The matriarch of the Towns’ family, she was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, caring and extremely loving person who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palpable and her energy will never be replaced.”

pic.twitter.com/vnKwFBNegn

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 13, 2020

In March 24 post on Instagram, Towns announced that his mother had been placed in a medically induced coma after suffering from complications due to the coronavirus.

“She’s been in a medically induced coma. Since that day, I haven’t talked to her, haven’t been able to obviously communicate with her.” Towns said in the video, “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.”

View this post on Instagram

Sharing my story in the hopes that everyone stays at home! We need more equipment and we need to help those medical personnel on the front lines. Thank you to the medical staff who are helping my mom. You are all the true heroes! Praying for all of us at this difficult time.

A post shared by Karl-Anthony Towns (@karltowns) on Mar 24, 2020 at 9:48pm PDT

Both of Towns parents tested positive for the virus, though Towns father, Karl Sr., was discharged from the hospital and has recovered from the illness.

Like much of the NBA family, Utah Jazz players have offered their condolences to Town after his mother’s passing.

Fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell reached out to Towns on Twitter.

“Man this hurts!!” Mitchell said, “Sending love and prayers your way @KarlTowns.”

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Mitchell, along with teammate Rudy Gobert were the first two NBA players to test positive for the coronavirus publically.

Towns announced he would donate $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic towards fighting the global pandemic before his mother’s condition was made public.

Coronavirus Resources

• Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL TV wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.
• What is COVID-19? Here’s What You Need To Know To Stay Healthy
• What We Know And Don’t Know About The Coronavirus
• Four Common Coronavirus Questions Answered
• The latest coronavirus stories from KSL TV can be found at our Staying Safe: Coronavirus section.
• Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?

How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

How To Get Help

If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.

Additional Resources

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.