Bittersweet Treasures: A Father's Journey Through Loss & Healing

By Katie Brandenburger and Matt Mauser

On January 25, 2020, I was happy. I was collaborating with Kobe Bryant on a multitude of musical projects while living my dream as a professional singer/songwriter/entertainer. I was married to the absolute love of my life, who was coaching a girls' basketball team with Kobe, and had three beautiful young children who were growing up way too fast.

On January 26, 2020, everything changed. I received a phone call that shattered my world and brought me to my knees. It was the day my wife, Christina, boarded a helicopter bound for a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks, California, with Kobe Bryant and seven others...and never came home.

This life-altering tragedy took me down a tumultuous path of self-discovery where I had to figure out what I was truly made of and the lengths to which I would go to ensure my children would not just survive, but thrive, in a world without their mother.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DWB995M7
• ISBN13: 9798991328029
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: CG Sports Management LLC
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"