Member-only story
My Sister Died the Same Day as Kobe Bryant
The second I read of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death, I was hit with an onslaught of conflicting emotions. The NBA basketball player died in a helicopter crash along with his 14-year-old daughter and several others. My immediate reaction was one of deep compassion, as I know firsthand the sea of pain created by the unexpected death of a family member.
As I scrolled through my newsfeed seeing dozens of posts glorifying this NBA athlete, I found my compassion extending not only to him and his family but to the woman Kobe Bryant raped. I imagined what it was like for her to suffer at the hands of a glorified superstar. I presume a part of her died the day she was raped, even if in the body she kept breathing. I envisioned what it was like for her to wake up this morning and read the man who raped her was no longer living. Did she cry? Did she exhale for the first time in more than 15 years?
My sister died on this exact same day 11 years ago. The circumstances were tumultuous. The police classified her death as “suspicious” and until today it remains an unsolved mystery. Those closest to her believe there was foul play. My sister was a survivor of extreme trauma, including rape. When she died the world didn’t cry her name. She was not exalted in the public eye for being the dedicated mother, wife, and survivor she was. She died isolated in agony. Her…
