Three days after losing her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna in a tragic helicopter crash, Vanessa Bryant commented publicly on social media for the first time Wednesday, thanking millions of people who've expressed their support for her and her daughters.
"There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now," she said in a lengthy and emotional Instagram post accompanied by a family picture.
"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."
vanessabryant
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 ❤️
Earlier in the day, Vanessa Bryant changed her Instagram profile photo to one of Kobe hugging Gianna at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto.
Also in the post, Bryant mentioned the other families who lost loved ones in Sunday's crash that killed nine people. And she also announced that the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by the tragedy.
Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me," Vanessa concluded, adding the hashtags #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family
Earlier in the evening, the Brooklyn Nets held a moment of silence to honor Kobe and Gianna, leaving flowers on two empty courtside seats. Those were the same two seats where father and daughter were captured on a TV broadcast Dec. 21 discussing the game -- a video clip that has since gone viral.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vanessa Bryant thanks supporters, announces MambaOnThree Fund in touching Instagram post