A Raw Conversation on Loss and Resilience
In a deeply emotional and candid revelation, social media influencer Emilie Kiser has spoken out for the first time in detail about the devastating loss of her three-year-old son, Trigg. During a poignant episode of the Jay Shetty podcast, Kiser shared the harrowing experience of her grief journey, offering a glimpse into the reality of losing a child to a preventable tragedy.
For many, Kiser has been a beacon of positivity on social media, but the silence that followed the incident in May 2025 spoke volumes of the pain she and her family were enduring. Speaking to Shetty, she challenged the notion of “getting over” such a loss, stating, “When you lose your child, you really don’t care about anything else besides doing your best to get through it. And there’s not even a through it. You don’t get through it.”
The Tragic Incident: A Reminder of How Quickly Life Changes
The tragedy occurred on May 18, 2025, at the Kiser family home in Chandler, Arizona. According to police reports and surveillance footage, Trigg accidentally fell into the family’s backyard pool after tripping on an inflatable chair. At the time, Emilie’s husband, Brady Kiser, was home caring for both Trigg and their newborn son, Theodore.
Emilie recounted the moment her world shattered: she had just arrived at dinner with friends, five weeks postpartum, when she received the call that Trigg was not breathing. Despite being hospitalized for six days, Trigg passed away nearly a week later. The weight of the “preventable” nature of the accident is something Emilie admits haunts her, leading to a constant cycle of hindsight and questioning.
Navigating the Complexities of Grief
Healing is rarely linear, and Emilie Kiser is open about the complexity of her emotional state. Rather than seeing grief as a series of stages, she describes it as a state of coexistence. She explained that joy, sadness, guilt, and support all exist simultaneously and permanently.
To manage this trauma, the couple sought professional medical help and explored unconventional healing methods, including animal therapy at a care farm. One of the most difficult hurdles was the relationship with her husband. Emilie admitted she initially questioned if she could forgive him, but a pivotal realization shifted her perspective: “this could have just as easily happened to me.”
A Mission for Safety: Drowning Prevention
Turning her pain into purpose, Emilie is now dedicated to ensuring other families do not endure the same heartbreak. She urges parents to remain vigilant, reminding them that no one is “special” or immune to accidents. To protect children, she recommends several critical safety measures:
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- Install secure pool fences to create a physical barrier.
- Implement door alarms to alert parents when a child exits the house.
- Enroll children in professional swim lessons to build water competency.
- Keep pool handles and access points out of reach of toddlers.
For more authoritative guidelines on water safety, parents are encouraged to visit the Canadian Red Cross or the CDC’s drowning prevention page.
A Promise to the Future
While Trigg’s memory remains a central part of their home through photos and cherished items, Emilie finds her strength in a promise she made to her son before he passed: to always take care of his younger brother, Teddy.
“That has kept me going,” she shared. “I made a promise, I’m going to fulfill it and I’m going to give Teddy the best life I possibly can.” By sharing her story, Emilie Kiser hopes to spread awareness and honor Trigg’s legacy by saving other lives.
