Catholic Influencer Paul J Kim: 5-Year-Old Son Dies

Paul J Kim’s 5-year-old son Micah dies after 11-day battle with severe flu

Popular Catholic influencer Paul J Kim announced that his son, Micah Joseph, 5, passed away on December 31, 2025, after an 11-day battle on life support following a severe case of influenza.

• Who: Micah Joseph, son of Catholic influencer Paul J Kim
• Age: 5 years old
• When: Died December 31, 2025 (New Year’s Eve)
• Cause: Complications from a severe case of the flu after 11 days on life support
• Public reach: Paul J Kim regularly shared updates with his 300,000+ Instagram followers

In an emotional Instagram video posted January 1, 2026, Kim described the ordeal as the hardest thing he has ever experienced and shared that while the family’s grief is immense, their faith gives them comfort that Micah is “home” with the heavenly Father.

“After fighting 11 long, hard days, [Micah] went home to the house of our father. We are so proud of him.”

The Legacy

Paul J Kim built a large online Catholic following by documenting his family’s faith journey and using social platforms to pray with and encourage a global audience. Key highlights of Kim’s public work include:

1. Raising a large online faith community — more than 300,000 followers on Instagram.
2. Sharing candid, faith-centered videos and family updates that reached millions.
3. Serving as a recognizable voice in the online Catholic community, often posting prayers, reflections and encouragement.

What happened

Kim began sharing Micah’s health battle after the child was rushed to emergency care on December 21, 2025. Over the following days he provided frequent updates, describing a severe and unusually aggressive influenza that led to life support and, ultimately, to a coma. The family observed signs of improvement on Christmas Day — which Paul called a “miraculous” recovery — but the child’s condition later deteriorated.

Wider context: record-high pediatric flu season

Micah’s death comes amid a historically severe flu season. The CDC reported 288 pediatric flu deaths in the 2024–2025 season — a record high for a non-pandemic year — and warned about a highly contagious H3N2 subclade particularly dangerous to young children.

Social reaction and tributes

Messages of grief and prayer poured in from around the world after Kim shared the news. Supporters left heartfelt notes across social platforms; even celebrities commented with prayers and encouragement. In his statement, Paul expressed gratitude for the global outpouring:

“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. This incredibly difficult, impossible time for our family. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life, and it continues to be.”

As the family and their faith community mourn, public health officials continue to urge parents to be vigilant during the flu season and consult pediatric care early when children show severe symptoms.

We will continue to update this story as the family releases more information. Our condolences go out to Paul, his wife Maggie, and their family.