A 5-year-old son of a Catholic parishioner died of the flu

A Catholic official said Thursday that his 5-year-old son died of a severe case of the flu

An influential Catholic said Thursday that his 5-year-old son died of a bad cold.

Paul Kim, who posts videos about his Catholic faith and has more than 300,000 followers on Instagram, said in an Instagram video that his son, Micah, died on New Year's Eve "after a long and hard 11-day battle."Earlier, Kim announced on Instagram that her son was hospitalized after a severe case of the flu.

"We are so proud of him. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, as his father, on behalf of my family, for all the ways you have prayed and lifted us up during this time," Kim said in the video.This is an incredibly difficult, impossible time for our family.

On Dec. 21, Kim posted a message on Instagram that her son went to the hospital in an ambulance after he "had a medical emergency."The next day, she posted a message on Instagram saying Mika was on life support and asking for prayers.

In a Dec. 30 update, Kim said his son had a bad case of the flu, causing the boy to pass out and experience seizures.

"Doctors say that one of the worst cases of this virus that they have ever seen in their lives, rarely, happened to my son," said Kim."Be sure, he wants a miracle."

Kim has posted almost daily updates since then, including several videos of the unconscious 5-year-old in the hospital.In a Thursday video, Kim said her son was in a coma before he died and that his "spirit is already with God."

"In many ways, we fought for Mika to buy him as much time as possible until he passed," he said.

Kim said in a video Thursday that her account has been viewed more than 50 million times in the last few weeks since her son was born.

Influencers are now looking for privacy.

"Micah is already working in heaven, seriously. So much evidence, so many ways that God is using light in my five-year life to really save souls and change the world," he said.

The 5-year-old boy's death comes as influenza is on the rise in the United States, with young children being particularly hit hard by the respiratory disease.About 3,100 people, including five children, have died from the flu this season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.