Micah Kim, the five-year-old son of social media influencer Paul J. Kim, died on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2025, after an 11-day illness stemming from a severe case of influenza. Kim announced his son's passing on Thursday, January 1, 2026, after having provided regular updates on Micah's condition to his followers.
Illness and Hospitalization Timeline
Micah was hospitalized on December 21, 2025, after experiencing a medical emergency due to a severe strain of influenza. Doctors described his illness as an unusually severe flu case. By December 22, Kim notified his followers of the medical emergency.
The illness progressed rapidly, leading to several complications:
- Micah was placed on life support.
- The flu infection advanced to sepsis and caused seizures.
- He experienced severe internal bleeding.
- On December 24, Micah underwent emergency chest surgery, which stabilized his heart function. Following the surgery, Kim reported that Micah's heart was beating independently, and his vital signs were stable.
- Medical professionals gradually reduced life support as Micah's lungs showed slow improvement on a ventilator.
- A subsequent MRI revealed severe brain damage, with scans indicating an absence of brain activity. Physicians concluded there was "no medical possibility" of recovery.
- On December 30, Kim updated followers, stating Micah's condition had worsened, and he was in a coma. Micah passed away the following day, on December 31, 2025.
Public Announcements and Family Statements
Paul J. Kim, who has over 300,000 Instagram followers, shared updates on his son's health online throughout the illness, with some posts depicting Micah in the hospital garnering millions of views, reaching over 50 million views on his social media account during the period.
In his announcement on January 1, Kim stated that Micah "is beginning the new year basking in the never-ending glory, love, and peace of God." He also indicated, "Micah has been very busy already, as I see the Lord using him and sending him on missions to bring millions of people closer to God." Kim requested privacy for his family but provided the update due to significant public interest and prayers received. He expressed gratitude for the "love, prayers, and compassion" received, stating, "Your prayers for Micah were answered, but in a different way than what we had all hoped for. God healed and welcomed him into eternal life." Kim also mentioned consulting legal, health, and ethical teams during the hospitalization to explore all options for Micah's care.
Broader Context of Flu Season
Micah Kim's death occurred amidst a flu season that health officials have noted for its severity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported varying figures regarding pediatric flu deaths for the current season.
- Source 1 cited CDC data indicating 288 pediatric deaths in the 2024-25 season, which it characterized as a high for a non-pandemic year. This source also reported that the majority of these deaths occurred among unvaccinated children, with 70% having pre-existing conditions such as asthma.
- Source 3 reported that the pediatric death toll from flu had reached a total of nine children nationwide for the current season, including the first reported pediatric flu deaths in Ohio and Kentucky. This source also provided national estimates of 7.5 million influenza infections, over 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 flu-related deaths across the United States for the current season.
This season has seen the emergence of a new flu strain, identified as a mutation of influenza A H3N2 called subclade K, which has been characterized as highly contagious and aggressive. Annually, approximately 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized due to the flu, with infants under 6 months facing the highest mortality risk. The CDC emphasizes the importance of annual vaccination for prevention.
Public Response and Support
Following Kim's updates, Catholic leaders, including cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, and laypeople, communicated prayers to the family. Kim had previously led a live Divine Mercy Chaplet with followers, and the family had sought a miracle through the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen. A GoFundMe campaign was initiated to assist the family with medical expenses.