Granger Smith Honors 3-Year-Old Son River With New Tattoo Following His Death

Granger Smith is no doubt enduring an immense amount of grief with his family in the days since his son’s accidental drowning earlier this month. But the country singer and songwriter has found a new way to honor the memory of 3-year-old River with a tattoo commemorating the toddler.

During a performance at the Country LakeShake music festival in Chicago last weekend, Smith, 39, said he got River’s name tattooed on his forearm in black cursive, reports Entertainment Tonight.

The new tattoo was also on display on Tuesday, when Smith and his wife, Amber Bartlett, donated $218,791 to Dell’s Children’s Medical Center, the hospital where River was treated.

“This is just the beginning,” Smith said during a ceremony at the hospital in Austin, Texas, reports CBS Austin. “Let this be a small token of the gratitude that we’ve got for you guys.”

Smith said the “first thing” he and his wife wanted to do after River’s death was give back to the hospital, where doctors and nurses tried to save their son’s life.

“I pray that nobody else ever has to go through what we’ve gone through, but if they do, I hope they come here because y’all were incredible,” Amber said Tuesday.

“We watched you through our eyes, through our grieving eyes, in the worst of times, we watched you speak to our little boy like he heard you and we were hearing it. You were speaking to us and it mattered,” Smith added.

Smith and Amber wore a special red shirt to honor their son. They said they plan to release another one, with the proceeds going to the hospital.

River died on June 6 following a drowning accident at the Smiths’ home.

“I have to deliver unthinkable news. We’ve lost our youngest son, River Kelly Smith. Following a tragic accident, and despite doctor’s best efforts, he was unable to be revived,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “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.”

In a video shared on YouTube this week, Smith recounted the devastating events that led to River’s death, and stressed the importance of teaching water safety to children.

“The other important thing to know, and I’ll talk about this more in the months and years to come, is how quiet this whole thing happened,” Smith explained in the clip, which also included a shot of the River tattoo. “There was silence. I was 15 feet from the gate, which is something that will haunt me the rest of my life. I was 15 feet from that water, doing gymnastics. A, him getting in there is an almost impossible feat, and B, him silently getting into the water is beyond any of us understanding.”

Later on in the clip, Smith said he thought about moving his family to “some secluded cabin in Colorado,” but ultimately decided it was for the best to continue sharing their lives with his fans.

Smith and Amber are also parents to daughter London, 7, and son Lincoln, 5.

Photo credit: Getty Images