Husband of coach killed in crash alongside Kobe Bryant still healing: 'You have some rough patches'
Matt Mauser's goal is to give his children a new sense of normalcy.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Many families know the pain of mourning the loss of a loved one.
However, only a few must endure it as publicly as the family of Christina Mauser, one of the nine people killed in the same helicopter crash that claimed the lives of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
Eyewitness News sat down with her husband, Matt Mauser, as Wednesday marked two years since the tragic accident.
"I've learned to tune things out and I've given my kids techniques to learn how to tune things out," said Matt Mauser. "We don't watch a lot of TV."
The mother of three was an assistant basketball coach at the Mamba Sports Academy. All nine victims left behind families, friends, voids and memories.
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Matt Mauser said the day before the heartbreaking anniversary, he tried to keep busy by focusing on making life the best it can be for his children.
He said days are getting easier, but there are sudden waves of pain.
"You have your good moments, you have some rough patches," he said.
Matt Mauser's goal is to give his children a new sense of normalcy. The father is a musician and was a contestant on NBC's "America's Got Talent."
He performed the same song he and Christina danced to on their wedding day: "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra.
It's the last song they danced together in public before her death.
"I just wanted to do it just to show my kids that you have to move on," said the grieving father. "You can't sit idle and you have to pursue your dreams."
After reflecting on his own tragedy, Matt Mauser is now sharing a message to others.
"Appreciate the people in your life, especially your spouse," he said. "Find time to tell them how much you care."
Matt Mauser said his family had to wait until this past summer to lay his wife to rest due to the pandemic.
He started the Christina Mauser Foundation in her honor to give athletic scholarships to young women on their way to college.
You can find more on the scholarship program here.
