Emilie Kiser is speaking out about how grief has reshaped her family's holiday season after the heartbreaking loss of her three-year-old son, Trigg.
In a candid TikTok video posted Saturday, December 27, the 26-year-old content creator thanked followers for their support while reflecting on the emotional toll Christmas has taken this year.
"It was, quite frankly, a terrible Christmas for us"
“If you sent me just, like, sweet DMs yesterday — messages, well wishes — I am so grateful for you and thank you so much for reaching out,” Emilie told her followers in a “get ready with me” video.
“Truly so grateful for my family this year, even though we were not home for Christmas this year. We just did not want to have a traditional Christmas without Trigg.”
Emilie explained how her family intentionally avoided recreating the typical holiday experience, knowing it would only magnify the pain of Trigg’s absence.
“My family made sure to just make us still feel so special — make it special for Teddy. We were able to just have very quality time together and that is, like, really just all we wanted this year — making memories still, but not having it feel like a normal Christmas.
"I just didn’t want to force a normal Christmas because it is not a normal Christmas. It was, quite frankly, a terrible Christmas for us — I say that just to be real and honest.”
The Kiser family traveled to California for the holidays, choosing flexibility and presence over tradition.
Emilie shared that the trip was kept casual and unstructured, allowing everyone to do “what everyone kinda wants to do in a day.” She also gave a heartfelt shoutout to her siblings for their support.
“I’m really just so grateful to my siblings, because they all just kind of picked up what they were gonna do this year, possibly, or even if they were gonna come out to Arizona this year for Christmas,” she said.
“They were all just kinda like, ‘We are all gonna do whatever you guys want to do and whatever makes you guys comfortable this year.’”
Trigg’s death left the family reeling
Back in May, the Chandler, Arizona, Police Department confirmed that Trigg had died after being found unresponsive in the family’s backyard pool. He was just three years old. At the time of the incident, Emilie’s husband, Brady Kiser, was home.
In July, authorities recommended criminal charges for Brady, though a statement later released by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office stated there was “no likelihood of conviction.”
The couple also shares a younger son, nine-month-old Teddy.
Following Trigg’s passing, Emilie stepped away from social media. She returned in August with a raw message about the magnitude of her loss.
“Loss of this magnitude feels impossible to put into words,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’ve spent days, weeks, months trying to find them and also take the time I’ve needed to digest the loss of my baby.”
She added: “Trigg is our baby and our best friend. The light and spirit he brought into this world was bright, pure, joyful and undeniable.
"We miss him every second of every day and continuing forward often feels unbearable. I never thought we would experience grief in this way or the pain of losing him so suddenly.”
The Kisers focus on healing and parenting Teddy
Earlier this month, a source close to the couple revealed that Emilie and Brady have been taking intentional steps toward healing together.
“They have gone through the worst tragedy you could ever experience as parents and they are doing their best to come together as a family,” the insider said.
“This holiday season is so important to bring a sense of normal for their family. And they’re still keeping things private as they work to be the best parents they can be to Teddy.”