Karl-Anthony Towns discusses having to 'pull the plug' on mom

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns lost his mother to COVID-19 earlier this year. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns opens up about having to 'pull the plug' on his mom: 'Hardest decision you can make'

By Blake Harper | Last updated 11/3/20

Karl-Anthony Towns lost his mom Jackie Cruz-Towns to COVID-19 complications back in April, and the Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star opened up about the painful experience, including having to make the decision to "pull the plug" after she had a stroke that doctors felt gave her "no way for meaningful life."

"At that moment I pulled the plug and just let her pass," Towns explained in an 18-minute video titled "THE TOUGHEST YEAR OF MY LIFE." "They told me she may be alive another hour, maybe two."

Fortunately, in her last few hours, Towns says that she was able to spend time remotely with family members and friends, telling stories and even having a few laughs.

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

Back in March, Towns revealed that both his mother and father had contracted COVID-19, but while his father recovered fairly quickly, his mother took a turn for the worse. She ended up in a medically induced coma and then had a stroke that forced Towns and his father to acknowledge that she would not recover.

"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."

Towns also opened up about the grief he has experienced since losing his mom, saying that helping others and taking care of the people he loves has been the most effective way of not giving into despair.

"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," Towns said.

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