ISTERI mendiang Kobe Bryant masih terkejut dengan kehilangan suaminya yang juga legenda bola keranjang Amerika Syarikat itu.

Vanessa Bryant turut menzahirkan kesedihan atas kehilangan anak keduanya, Gianna, 13, yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di California, Isnin lalu.

Menerusi akaun Instagram peribadinya, Vanessa menzahirkan simpati terhadap tujuh lagi mangsa lain dan berterima kasih kepada semua pihak yang menyokong serta mendoakan mereka sekeluarga untuk menempuhi tempoh-tempoh sukar itu.

"Situasi kami ketika ini sangat hancur kerana kehilangan suami tersayang, Kobe. Beliau bapa yang hebat kepada anak-anak, dan Gianna anak yang sangat penyayang, diingati dan bijak kepada Natalia, Bianka dan Capri.

"Tiada perkataan yang boleh menggambarkan kesedihan kami sekarang. Saya sangat selesa apabila mengetahui Kobe dan Gigi amat disayangi.

"Kami sangat bertuah memilikinya. Saya berharap mereka berada di sini dengan kami selama-lamanya. Mereka adalah ciptaan terindah yang diambil terlalu awal daripada kami," tulisnya yang telah mengaktifkan akaun media sosialnya itu untuk tatapan umum, semalam.

My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon. I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality. To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org. To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org. Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family ❤️

A post shared by Vanessa Bryant



Vanessa yang berkahwin dengan Kobe pada 2001 turut menyatakan keinginannya untuk terus bersama dengan suami dan anaknya itu selama-lamanya.

"Kasih sayang kami untuk mereka tiada penghujung dan tidak boleh diukur. Saya hanya berharap dapat memeluk, cium dan merestui serta memiliki mereka di sini bersama kami selamanya.

"Terima kasih berkongsi kegembiraan, kesedihan dan menyokong kami. Terima kasih kerana terus mendoakan kami dan menyayangi Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri dan saya," tulisnya lagi.

Nahas tersebut turut mengorbankan John Altobelli dan isterinya, Keri serta anak mereka, Alyssa yang merupakan rakan sepasukan bola keranjang Gianna, pembantu jurulatih pasukan perempuan, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester dan ibunya, Sarah Chester.