Catholic influencer Paul Kim has announced the death of his five-year-old son, Micah, following a severe case of the flu.
Kim shared that Micah suffered sepsis and seizures, which led to him being placed on life support. In a video posted on Thursday, Kim said Micah “went home to the house of our father” after fighting for 11 days.
Kim, who has six children and frequently speaks about his Catholic faith on social media, thanked followers for their prayers. He said, “We are so proud of him. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart as his dad, on behalf of my family, for all the ways you guys prayed and lifted us up during this time.”
The influencer said clergy, including deacons, priests, and cardinals, reached out to support Micah and his family during his hospitalization. “I’m thankful. I love you in Christ,” Kim added.
He also reflected on how Micah’s life and death are inspiring faith online, saying, “Micah is already in Heaven at work, seriously, so many testimonies, so many ways in which God is using the light in my five-year-old to truly save souls and change the world.”
Micah’s death comes amid a surge of severe flu cases across the United States. The child death toll from flu rose this week as “super flu” spread across more than a dozen states.
The nationwide tally stands at nine children, with Ohio and Kentucky reporting their first pediatric flu deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that this flu season has caused 7.5 million infections, more than 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths across the country.