Former country musician Granger Smith has been open about both the absolute joys and devastating heartbreak his family has experienced.
Smith — who in April, 2013, announced that he would be leaving music behind to devote his life to Christian ministry — and his wife, Amber, are the proud parents of four children — London, Lincoln, River and Maverick.
In 2019, while Smith was playing with his daughter London outside while his sons enjoyed a water gun fight, then 3-year-old River accidentally fell into the family's pool outside their Texas home and drowned.
Despite courageous efforts to save their son, River could not be revived. After two days at the Dell Children’s Medical Center, doctors told Smith and his wife there were no chances their son would regain brain function.
“We asked for a second opinion,” Smith told TODAY.com in a recent interview. “The second crew came in and said: ‘Yes, we confirm this.’ Sympathetically of course, they told us: ‘There is no chance.’”
Two years later, the couple welcomed their fourth child and third son, Maverick.
Amber tells TODAY.com that getting pregnant after the loss of her son and after also suffering a miscarriage was "this roller coaster of emotions.
"When I was rocking Maverick, you're so happy and you're so thankful and you have a heart with so much gratitude — but you still miss your son, and you miss his presence," she says.
"It's weird to balance that," Amber continues. "But that is just such a gift from God that, he does give you grief and joy to coexist at the same time ... it's OK to feel that joy for this new amazing miracle that we have, and it's OK to still miss your son. It's like holding hope in one hand and heartache in the other."
Through their profound loss, the family has managed to not only stay together but have centered their children as they continue to focus on their faith and help other bereaved families.
London Smith, 11
London Smith, the couple's oldest and only daughter, was born on Oct. 3, 2011, one year after Smith and his wife Amber got married.
To celebrate his daughter's 11th birthday, Smith shared a photo of his daughter on Facebook with a sweet caption.
"Happy birthday baby girl! These past 11 years have been more joyful, more dynamic, more passionate, more loving (and) more fulfilling since you exploded into our family," the former country music star wrote. "To my last breath I’ll be you’re fighter…I’ll always kill spiders for you."
Like her Christian parents, London seems to be dedicated to her faith. In a recent Instagram post, proud mom Amber shared a photo of her daughter reading the Bible.
"She was so excited the other night as she finished the book of Acts and said, 'Mom, do you know who I can’t wait to meet in heaven, of course besides Jesus? ... Paul! I can’t wait to meet Paul!" Amber wrote in the caption.
"Oh how I wish I was reading the Bible at 11. I pray every night for the Lord to continue to draw her in," Amber added. "For Him to reveal Himself to her, reveal His word, make it irresistible, keep her on the narrow path. I know we have a long road of parenting ahead of us, but I am thankful for today, thankful for the hope we have in Him and for the work He is already doing in her life."
Lincoln Smith, 9
Lincoln Monarch Smith was born January 7, 2014.
In an Instagram post shared after the loss of her son, River, Amber briefly explained how London and his sister, Lincoln, were helping her in the midst of her grief.
"The smiles on these faces are some of the brightest lights in the dark," she wrote in part of the Instagram post caption.
London also loves being a big brother to his younger brother, Maverick.
In another Instagram post, featuring a picture of London holding Maverick, Smith wrote that Lincoln — or "Linc" for short — said he was "so happy and "so glad you had this little cuteasaur.”
"He said, 'Life is so different. If what happened didn’t happen with River, we wouldn’t have this little guy. We wouldn’t have this house, I wouldn’t know my new friends.' I said, 'How do you feel about all of that?'" Amber wrote in the caption. "He said, 'It's good. I feel good. River is having fun in heaven and we are having fun on earth.'"
Amber continued the caption, writing: "Every time he says things like this, I thank God. I was so worried about Lincoln when River went home. They were inseparable. I worried so much for his future and his little heart and mind. I know we still aren’t 'out of the woods,' God willing we have a lot of life left, but goodness it feels so good to see him light up and be filled with so much joy."
River Smith, 3
River Smith was born on May 16, 2016.
In 2019, the 3-year-old died after he accidentally drowned in the family's pool outside their Texas home. The family decided to donate their son's organs to children in need.
In a 2022 episode of Dear Media’s “Meaning Full Living” podcast, Amber opened up about the moment she had to tell her two living children at the time, London and Lincoln, that their baby brother didn't make it.
"We went home (from the hospital) with that intention of being very honest,” she said at the time. “We said, ‘River was without oxygen for too long. They did everything that they could, but Bubbie died.’”
Amber went on to say that her and her husband, Smith, made space to allow their children to “process their emotions, telling them that "whatever they’re feeling … it’s OK.”
Amber tells TODAY.com when she thinks about her son, River, she sees "just wild red hair and the darkest brown, most beautiful brown eyes."
"Everybody always said when they looked into them that there was something different," she says. "Like he knew something that we didn't. We always kind of look back now and it's like he almost knew he had three short years, because everything he wanted to do was super fast (and) everything he wanted to do was super dangerous."
Amber says her son River was "never scared," adding that when she would tell him to "get down" or "be careful" he would tell her: "Shh, it's OK."
"He was such a joy — always dancing, always laughing," she adds. "Loved to be the little comedian with his brother and sister — we miss it. We just miss his joyful spirit around the house. (He) just brought so much joy to our family."
Maverick Smith, 11 months
Maverick Beckham Smith was born on August 20, 2021, two years after his older brother, River, died.
Smith and his wife Amber say they picked their fourth child's name with extreme intention and with River in mind.
"I wanted his name to have 'RIV' and it does have the 'ER' in there too," Amber tells TODAY.com. "I just wanted a little piece of River in his name."
"And his middle name is 'Beckham,' which means 'home by the River,'' Smith adds.
The parents tell TODAY.com that their son aids in their ongoing journey of grief and healing in different ways, partly because they grieve in different ways.
"When I see Maverick today, I mean — literally this morning, I was watching him and I think two things: I love this child, this bundle of joy makes me so joyful, and at the same time I hate a little bit of the fact that he looks so much like River," Smith says. "Part of me is just like: 'Why can't you act like another child? But that's that's all part of the journey that we're on."
Amber, on the other hand, says she was "praying and thanking the Lord that he does have little pieces of his big brother."
"That's a gift," she tells TODAY.com. "That's how grief and joy can coexist and how he's going to keep his big brother's legacy alive — not even trying, he's just part of him. That's just the blessings that God gives you through grief."
