Born in Guatemala, John Smith was adopted as a baby by Brian and Joyce Smith of St. Charles, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Devout Christians, the Smiths raised John in the faith as well. According to the bios on the film's website, his mother Joyce travelled extensively, even living in Canada and in Germany for a time, before settling down in Missouri. The Smiths have three more sons, as well as five grandchildren.
The story that would become Breakthrough began on a January day in 2015. As reported to NBC, John and two of his friends were walking on a frozen lake when the ice failed, and the trio all fell into the icy waters of Lake St. Louise. One of the boys managed to keep himself above water by clinging to a piece of ice, and another made it to shore to call for help. John, however, could not do either, and by the time paramedics arrived on scene and rescued the boys, he had been submerged for 15 minutes.