Samantha Busch, widow of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, addressed the public for the first time this week, three months after her husband's passing.
Busch, 40, spoke at the Carlos Rodon Foundation's Third Annual Willow Gala in New York City, an event supporting couples struggling with infertility. She was recognized with the Seeds of Hope Award for her efforts in supporting in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. Ashley and Carlos Rodon, wife and husband of the New York Yankees star, hosted the event.
In an emotional speech, Samantha honored her late husband, with whom she had two children via IVF. "If I'm being truthful, there are still so many things I don't understand and so many times I wish God's plan looked different than it does," she stated. "Caring for the things that Kyle and I built together can feel incredibly heavy because he should still be here doing it beside me. But I also know that the same God who carried us through infertility is still carrying me now."
Busch's husband, a two-time Cup Series champion, died in May at age 41 from complications of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. Samantha and their two children, son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4, survive him. The couple had previously shared their struggles with infertility and multiple miscarriages before welcoming their children through IVF.
At the gala, Samantha was honored for her and Kyle's foundation, The Bundle of Joy Fund. The couple established the fund in 2015 to provide financial grants to couples facing infertility and the costs associated with IVF treatment. "Every grant we give, every positive pregnancy test, every heartbeat, every baby placed into the arms of parents who wondered if that moment would ever come, Kyle is still a part of that," she said.
The gala raised over $1 million for couples navigating infertility and pregnancy loss. Samantha expressed that the foundation "gives me a piece of Kyle to hold onto as I keep moving forward."
Last year, Samantha was invited to the White House by then-President Donald Trump to discuss efforts to lower the cost of fertility treatments. Trump had previously posted on social media about Busch's death, calling him a "true talent" and a "WINNER."
In a resurfaced clip from her podcast "Certified Oversharer," aired six months before his death, Samantha recalled telling Busch she would have another child to maintain a connection if he were to die. She explained to guest Ashley George, "I told him the most morbid story the other day. I was like, 'What if you passed? I would have to have another kid to be connected to you and name that child after you.'"
Busch, who won over 20 races at Bristol Motor Speedway during his NASCAR career, was remembered by Trump as "LEGENDARY" and a "two time Cup Champion."
