Photo: Getty Images
Granger Smith and his wife, Amber Smith, reflected on their journey with grief after the tragic loss of their 3-year-old son in 2019.
The couple appeared on the Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, a faith-focused show hosted by married couple Jinger Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo. The After MidNite host and his wife spoke about losing their son, River Kelly, in a tragic drowning accident at the family’s home. Granger Smith, a former country artist who left music to pursue ministry, shared on the episode of the podcast that arrived on Wednesday (May 6), “he [River] was 3, and in 2019, we lost him in the pool in our backyard. And I was there with all three kids. It happened in a minute.
“That started a chain reaction in our lives that ultimately led us to a saving belief,” he said. He and Amber Smith shared that they made a pact to stay married after the heartbreak, recognizing quickly afterward “that most couples don’t make it. I don’t know the statistic, but it’s over 50%. It usually leads to divorce,” he said. “We just did this really unromantic, 'Hey, let's just shake on this. Let's promise each other we're going to stay together. We're not going to be a statistic in this.’”
Amber Smith said she tries to “find the good,” rather than focus on “the reasons.” Since then, she’s advocated for water safety awareness and shared Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) information. Granger Smith and Amber Smith are also parents to daughter London, born in 2011, son Lincoln, born in 2014, and son Maverick, born in 2021.
Jinger Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo describe the podcast episode as “one of the most moving conversations about grief, marriage, and genuine faith you'll hear this year.” Find the full episode on iHeartRadio here.