Mackenzie Paul — who first went viral in August 2023 after opening up about her cancer diagnosis on TikTok — has died at 26.
Her husband, Brandon, confirmed the news in a video on Facebook.
“As you know, Kenzie is in heaven now,” he said. “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.”
“The past two and a half years, I’ve been blessed to be married to the best woman out there,” he added. “I also had to see her go through some very, very tough times, and you know, she was pretty transparent when it came to social media, but there were times when she was in the ICU and she was not breathing on her own — times none of us really shared — and it was a miracle that she made it this far.”
“It doesn’t even feel real,” he continued. “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.”
Courtesy of Mackenzie Paul
Paul first spoke with PEOPLE in October 2023, where she opened up about her diagnosis with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
At the time of her diagnosis, she was 23 and a second-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. The former Lake Superior State University athlete said she was prompted to go to the doctor after feeling dizzy during a clinical rotation.
“Other than being more tired, I really didn’t have any symptoms,” she told PEOPLE exclusively. “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.’ “
@kenziepaul3 Day 254 🧡🎗️ #prayer #fyp #cancer #prayers #fypシ ♬ original sound – Mackenzie Paul🎗️🧡
After her diagnosis, Paul began sharing her journey on TikTok and Instagram, where she built a community of nearly 30,000 followers.
Her series, #TakingBackWhatCancerTookFromMe, became a daily practice of celebrating one small victory at a time.
“I had no idea how truly challenging this journey would be,” she told PEOPLE in November 2025. “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.”
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In November 2025, Paul also shared with PEOPLE how she discovered a new purpose through art.
She said that when her cancer returned in the summer of 2024, she began sketching as a way to heal. Her drawings soon evolved into something larger, leading her to launch My Mantra Project (@mymantra.project on Instagram), creating portraits of “fighters of all kinds” — people battling cancer, addiction or mental health challenges — paired with the personal mantras that sustain them.
Courtesy of Mackenzie Paul
Each portrait was shared as a time-lapse video with a voiceover telling that person’s story.
“Hearing and sharing these stories has been both empowering and deeply inspiring,” Paul said. She also used TikTok to connect with a wider audience, sharing her own story and creative work.
“Welcome to #MyMantraProject … I’m Mackenzie Paul, cancer fighter and artist. Here’s my mantra 🖤 #IAmTheStorm ⛈️,” she captioned a TikTok video of her self-portrait.
@kenziepaul3 Welcome to #MyMantraProject … I’m Mackenzie Paul, cancer fighter and artist. Here’s my mantra 🖤 #IAmTheStorm ⛈️ Email kenziepaul.portraits@gmail.com for a drawing of you and your mantra. #cancerfighter #fighter #mymantra #MyMantraProject #art #portrait #drawing #cancer #foryou #fyp #fypシ ♬ original sound – Zach Bryan Archive
Even amid countless hospital stays, clinical trials and setbacks, Paul found ways to hold onto hope — through faith, creativity and connection.
“Over time, people started following along, offering encouragement and sending messages of support,” she said. “That connection gave me a renewed sense of hope and purpose. Being able to relate to and help others who are walking a similar path has truly saved my life.”
Through it all, one constant source of strength was her husband, whom she married just two months before her diagnosis. “I can’t imagine going through any of this without him by my side,” she said. “He’s been my rock through every setback, every hospital stay, and every moment of uncertainty.”