How do you cope with the sudden loss of your husband and child?

The death of American basketball legend Kobe Bryant, 41, in a helicopter crash last week, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, sent shockwaves through the sporting world and beyond. It’s thought the helicopter ploughed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, after trying to navigate thick fog. All nine passengers on board – who had been travelling to a basketball tournament – died in the crash. The tragedy led to an outpouring of grief from celebrities and fans alike, struggling to come to terms with the loss of a sporting superstar and his basketball-mad daughter, who was set to follow in her dad’s footsteps. Many have been sending condolences to Kobe’s devastated wife, Vanessa, 37, and her three surviving children: Natalia, 17, Bianka, four, and seven-month-old baby Capri.

Vanessa is reportedly so grief-stricken that she’s finding it hard to even finish a sentence. She posted a tribute to her daughter and husband on Instagram, writing, “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.”

Here, Victoria Milligan opens up about the raw agony of losing not only a partner but also a child, after her husband Nick, a 51-year-old TV executive, and daughter Emily, eight, died in a horrific speedboat accident seven years ago…

The scene of the accident, on a hillside in California The helicopter was completely destroyed Dad and daughter Gianna Kobe and wife Vanessa had four girls together