Beloved influencer Mackenzie Paul chose to bravely share her life with followers on social media, including how she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Paul’s husband, Brandon Paul, opened up about her death in a Facebook post. She was 26.
Tributes Pour in for Mackenzie Paul
Brandon made an emotional post on Facebook as he spoke about his wife’s death. “As you know, Kenzie is in heaven now,” he told the cameras. “Selfishly, I wish she was here, still with me, and it’s going to take the whole rest of my life to get over this. But the one thing I am really, really happy about is that she’s not in pain anymore.”
Brandon reflected on their time together, how grateful he was to be married to her, and how they had gone through some incredibly challenging times. “It was a miracle that she made it this far,” he said. He continued, “It doesn’t even feel real. I appreciate all the prayers…but I just want to go up here and update everybody because I know everybody wanted to know how Kenzie was doing….She was my rock, she was my best friend, she’s always going to be my best friend.”
Fans flooded the post with loving messages, showing Brandon support during this heartbreaking time. “Im so sorry for your loss Brandon. I always looked up to Kenzie as a role model for her kindness, strength, and intelligence,” a comment reads. “Sending prayers from my family to yours Brandon. You will forever have an angel looking overtop of you,” another person wrote.
“Oh Brandon. I am so sorry. You’ve bared your heart for all of us and we can feel your deep love and pain,” a third person shared.
Remembering Mackenzie Paul
Mackenzie first started sharing her cancer journey on TikTok in August 2023. She was 23 at the time she was first diagnosed, and one of her earliest symptoms was feeling dizzy. “Other than being more tired, I really didn’t have any symptoms,” she told People in 2023. “My whole life I’ve been really healthy. I was a college athlete. But I remember looking at my labs and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is horrible.'”
She created a #TakingBackWhatCancerTookFromMe series and the My Mantra Project, sharing her life with fans. In November 2025, Mackenzie spoke to People again and discussed her challenges. “I had no idea how truly challenging this journey would be,” she said. “I believed I would undergo a stem cell transplant and then return to my life as a medical student. I never imagined that, more than two years later, I would still be fighting for my life, and now, for a miracle.”
