Catholic influencer says son is 'already in heaven at work' after losing flu battle
January 2, 2026 at 4:37 p.m.
OSV News – Catholic influencer Paul J. Kim announced his 5-year-old son Micah "flew into the gates of heaven like a shooting star" after succumbing to influenza and sepsis, and he said that Micah is now "already in heaven at work," inspiring others to turn to Christ.
Kim, a popular Catholic speaker and musical artist, announced his son's Dec. 31 death in an emotional two-part Instagram video message posted Jan. 1, quoting several Scripture passages and stressing his unbroken faith amid the sudden and agonizing loss of his child.
"After fighting 11 hard days, Micah went home to the house of our Father," Kim said, breaking down in tears.
On Dec. 21, Kim had called for prayers for Micah, saying in a written message on Instagram the child was "having a medical emergency right now" and was "headed to the hospital in an ambulance."
Over the following days, Kim had posted updates – including images of Micah in his hospital bed – and additional requests for prayers to "storm heaven," seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph, St. Michael and the angels and saints.
The prayer campaign and Kim's daily social media updates attracted tens of thousands of participants around the world – with Catholics and non-Catholics alike interceding for Micah's recovery, said Kim.
On Dec. 22, Kim posted on Instagram that Micah was "currently on life support," and asked for "prayers for a miracle" through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen – "or for the grace to peacefully surrender our amazing little boy to the arms of the Heavenly Father who gifted us with him and redeemed Him through Christ our Lord."
Later that same day, he said that Micah's scans showed "his brain activity is not present," and that the child had received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick during the 3 p.m. hour of Divine Mercy, which commemorates Jesus Christ's suffering on the cross and forms part of the Divine Mercy devotion.
The boy's hospital room became "sacred ground," with multiple priests visiting and Mass celebrated "right at Micah's bedside," as supporters sent the family relics of various saints, said Kim.
Micah received his first holy Communion, with a priest dropping "some Precious Blood in his mouth," as well as the sacrament of confirmation, Kim said.
"Christ prepared his heart through those sacraments," said Kim. "That's what the sacraments are about. It's not our work; it's God's work through the Church."
The battle for Micah's healing continued over the next several days, showing signs of an upswing even as the child was placed on life support.
On Christmas Day, Kim and his wife appeared together in an Instagram video filmed at the hospital, with Kim stating doctors had reported Micah's heart vitality had increased, even as no brain activity was detected.
On the eighth day of the illness, Kim wrote that "Micah is a fighter," showing "steady vitals" as well as slowly improving lung functioning although he remained on a respirator.
But two days later, Kim advised that Micah had his "first of three brain death tests," and that "nothing showed that he was responding."
Describing the moment as "the eleventh hour," Kim continued to call for prayer, not only for Micah's healing, but so "that God would be praised through this entire process."
In his Jan. 1 Instagram video updates, announcing his son's passing the previous day, Kim said, "God is using the life of my 5-year-old to truly save souls and change the world."
Kim pointed to "people from all around the world" and from "every continent, praying for my boy throughout this ordeal." He thanked everyone for their prayers.
He described how another family decided to have their own critically ill infant, who was receiving treatment at the same hospital as Micah, baptized – with Kim performing the baptism after consulting with his spiritual director.
"How does this happen in the midst of all that we're going through?" Kim pondered in his Jan. 1 message.
He believed that Micah – who may have "already been with the Lord" due to the "catastrophic injury to his brain" – had "set up that arrangement.
"He prayed and interceded in heaven ... for that baby girl," said Kim.
While admitting that he has "a lot of questions for God," Kim said, "Micah is not dead. Micah is alive. He is alive in Jesus Christ, who saved him, who redeemed him on the cross, who prepared him in every which way, who gave the grace to me and my wife, as his parents, to prepare his heart for eternity."
And, said Kim, "That's the greatest gift, aside from life, that we could have ever given him."
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
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OSV News – Catholic influencer Paul J. Kim announced his 5-year-old son Micah "flew into the gates of heaven like a shooting star" after succumbing to influenza and sepsis, and he said that Micah is now "already in heaven at work," inspiring others to turn to Christ.
Kim, a popular Catholic speaker and musical artist, announced his son's Dec. 31 death in an emotional two-part Instagram video message posted Jan. 1, quoting several Scripture passages and stressing his unbroken faith amid the sudden and agonizing loss of his child.
"After fighting 11 hard days, Micah went home to the house of our Father," Kim said, breaking down in tears.
On Dec. 21, Kim had called for prayers for Micah, saying in a written message on Instagram the child was "having a medical emergency right now" and was "headed to the hospital in an ambulance."
Over the following days, Kim had posted updates – including images of Micah in his hospital bed – and additional requests for prayers to "storm heaven," seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph, St. Michael and the angels and saints.
The prayer campaign and Kim's daily social media updates attracted tens of thousands of participants around the world – with Catholics and non-Catholics alike interceding for Micah's recovery, said Kim.
On Dec. 22, Kim posted on Instagram that Micah was "currently on life support," and asked for "prayers for a miracle" through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen – "or for the grace to peacefully surrender our amazing little boy to the arms of the Heavenly Father who gifted us with him and redeemed Him through Christ our Lord."
Later that same day, he said that Micah's scans showed "his brain activity is not present," and that the child had received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick during the 3 p.m. hour of Divine Mercy, which commemorates Jesus Christ's suffering on the cross and forms part of the Divine Mercy devotion.
The boy's hospital room became "sacred ground," with multiple priests visiting and Mass celebrated "right at Micah's bedside," as supporters sent the family relics of various saints, said Kim.
Micah received his first holy Communion, with a priest dropping "some Precious Blood in his mouth," as well as the sacrament of confirmation, Kim said.
"Christ prepared his heart through those sacraments," said Kim. "That's what the sacraments are about. It's not our work; it's God's work through the Church."
The battle for Micah's healing continued over the next several days, showing signs of an upswing even as the child was placed on life support.
On Christmas Day, Kim and his wife appeared together in an Instagram video filmed at the hospital, with Kim stating doctors had reported Micah's heart vitality had increased, even as no brain activity was detected.
On the eighth day of the illness, Kim wrote that "Micah is a fighter," showing "steady vitals" as well as slowly improving lung functioning although he remained on a respirator.
But two days later, Kim advised that Micah had his "first of three brain death tests," and that "nothing showed that he was responding."
Describing the moment as "the eleventh hour," Kim continued to call for prayer, not only for Micah's healing, but so "that God would be praised through this entire process."
In his Jan. 1 Instagram video updates, announcing his son's passing the previous day, Kim said, "God is using the life of my 5-year-old to truly save souls and change the world."
Kim pointed to "people from all around the world" and from "every continent, praying for my boy throughout this ordeal." He thanked everyone for their prayers.
He described how another family decided to have their own critically ill infant, who was receiving treatment at the same hospital as Micah, baptized – with Kim performing the baptism after consulting with his spiritual director.
"How does this happen in the midst of all that we're going through?" Kim pondered in his Jan. 1 message.
He believed that Micah – who may have "already been with the Lord" due to the "catastrophic injury to his brain" – had "set up that arrangement.
"He prayed and interceded in heaven ... for that baby girl," said Kim.
While admitting that he has "a lot of questions for God," Kim said, "Micah is not dead. Micah is alive. He is alive in Jesus Christ, who saved him, who redeemed him on the cross, who prepared him in every which way, who gave the grace to me and my wife, as his parents, to prepare his heart for eternity."
And, said Kim, "That's the greatest gift, aside from life, that we could have ever given him."
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.