Husband of Christina Mauser says he embodies her strength raising their 3 kids
LOS ANGELES - Christina Mauser was a devoted and loving wife, coach and mother. She was an assistant coach on the Kobe Bryant-led Team Mamba which is why she was on that helicopter a year ago on that fateful day. Her husband spoke to FOX 11 to share how he is remembering her and honoring her legacy.
Matt Mauser says when he kissed his wife of 15 years goodbye the morning of January 26, 2020, he had no idea that he and their three children would never see her again.
"She was the most supportive, loving woman, person, partner that you could meet in your life," he said.
Mr. Mauser is a musician and said he got the call from a bandmate who delivered the heartbreaking news.
"I got a call from a bandmate of mine who asked if I had heard and asked if Christina was ok? And I…I just knew. And I fell and I just started weeping," he recalled.
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The shock and devastation was made almost unbearable by having to break the news to the kids that their mother was never coming home.
"I fell to the ground and I cried and then I realized I had to tell my kids…they were watching cartoons and I just sat them on the couch and just told them and they cried…it was tough, very tough," he said.
Two months after losing Christina, the coronavirus pandemic struck, which made an already horrific situation infinitely worse.
"We all got COVID. All my kids got sick, I got sick, we were all sick at the same time. We had no help for three weeks. Nannies couldn’t come…so many things that happened at one time…and you just kind of find that strength and you keep going," he said.
Distraught, Matt turned to his music to help move his life forward. He wrote a song called "Lost," to help cope with losing the love of his life.
Matt says raising the kids without Christina by is side has been extremely difficult, but also says, it’s been rewarding and he’s learning a lot.
"I don’t try to be their mom, I’m [their] dad. So, I do what I can and I sometimes feel like I fall short, but our friend once told me that showing up is 95% of the job," he said.
It’s the little thing he and Christina did together that he misses most. These are feelings he shared in another song he wrote called "When you wake up, she’s gone."
Even though Christina is no longer here physically, Matt says he continues to draw from her strength.
Matt Mauser started a foundation in honor of his late wife to support girls who are interested in sports, especially girls from underserved communities. If you’re interested in learning or contributing, you can visit mattmauser.com or christinamauserfoundation.org.
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