Country singer Granger Smith and his wife Amber are trying to come to terms with the loss of their 3-year-old son River, who drowned near their Georgetown, Texas home on June 6.
Immediately after Rivers tragic death, both parents posted a similar notification on Instagram. Granger’s post read:
“I have to deliver unthinkable news. We’ve lost our youngest son, River Kelly Smith. Following a tragic accident, and despite doctors’ best efforts, he was unable to be revived. Amber and I made the decision to say our last goodbyes and donate his organs so that other children will be given a second chance at life.”
“Our family is devastated and heartbroken, but we take solace in knowing he is with his Heavenly Father. Riv was special. Everyone that met him knew that immediately. The joy he brought to our lives cannot be expressed, and his light will be forever in our hearts. If there are words to say more, I cannot find them in this moment. Love the ones close to you. There has never been a more difficult moment for us than this.”
The post concluded with: “In lieu of flowers or gifts, please send donations to Dell Children’s Medical Center in River’s name. The doctors, nurses, and staff have been incredible.”
Two weeks later, on June 19, the couple posted a nearly 28-minute video on YouTube, in which they honored River Kelly Smith’s memory with an emotional tribute, titled “Finding Light in Our Darkest Time.” The couple included their memories, photos, clips, and events from the boy’s short life.
“What if you were given a gift of 1,000 days on this Earth?” Granger asks during the video. He explains that his daughter, London, asked him how many days River had been on earth, and he realized it was “just over a thousand,” Fox 59 reported.
“If you could live those days barefoot, red hair flying back on your tractor full speed ahead, if you could do that with your family around you, with no real cares in the world … that’s a good way to live,” Smith says in the video.
The video also reveals the moments that led to their son’s tragic death: “It was actually a night just like this and I was outside playing with London,” Granger recalled. “We were doing gymnastics in the yard, and the boys were playing a water gun fight. I remember thinking, I was looking at London, as she was doing gymnastics and I thought, ‘Soak up this moment because it’s not going to last forever.'”
He continued: “Somewhere between 30 seconds and three minutes later Amber and I are inside our pool gate doing CPR on our son,” he said.
Several colleagues from the music industry shared their condolences with the Smith family on Instagram. Jason Aldean, for instance, expressed his support to Smith and his family.
“I can’t imagine what y’all are going thru. Praying for u and ur family brother. We are heartbroken for u guys,” he said.
Smith said the family is, of course, very grateful for all well-meant voices of support, but he begs his friends, colleagues, and family not to feel down: “There’s a lot of people that he affected, and it’s important to not stay dark forever. We had an incredible little boy for three years, and we feel really good about that.”
Granger concluded: “We are stronger than ever right now. We’ve gotten so close, and we are going to constantly search for the meaning behind all of this. … We will find the meaning and the good in this and to spread this message and his legacy. He’ll always be with me, and he’ll always be in our hearts,” ENews reported.
