The death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday led to an outpouring of grief from his many friends and fans, with his widow, Vanessa, offering her first statement on Wednesday in a poignant and inspirational social media post.
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The deep pain of Vanessa Bryant losing her husband was horribly magnified by the fact that their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also perished in the helicopter crash that killed nine people.
The Bryants were married in 2001 and had one child when they weathered controversy in 2003 when Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault.
However, since that time, their marriage had thrived, with the couple welcoming three more daughters into the world.
Gianna Bryant was the second-oldest of the four Bryant children, with sisters Natalia, Bianka and Capri surviving.
Vanessa Bryant made a concerted effort in her message to recognize the other victims in the tragedy and their families.
Her selfless gesture in setting up a fund for those families is indicative of that approach and will no doubt result in a flood of donations from those who are searching for some way to come to grips with the situation.
