Social Media Star, Former College Athlete Dead at 26 Following Cancer Battle

Mackenzie Paul, who rose to prominence on TikTok chronicling her battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), has passed away. She was 26.

Paul was diagnosed with AML in October 2023 during her second year at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She went into remission after initial treatments but the cancer returned in summer 2024.

Her husband Brandon confirmed her death in an emotional video on social media last Thursday.

"As you know, or as most of 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."

Paul shared plenty, but there were struggles public never saw

In his video message, Brandon Paul explained that no matter how much his wife shared with her social media followers, there were sadly some serious issues that were kept private.

"The past two and a half years, I've been blessed to be married to the best woman out there," Paul explained. "I also had to see her go through some very, very tough times. You know, she was pretty transparent when it came to social media. But there were some 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."

Paul added that his wife's death "doesn't even feel real" and he will continue keeping her memory and legacy alive.

"She was my rock, she was my best friend, she's always going to be my best friend," he said.

Mackenzie Paul, remembered

A Michigan native, Mackenzie (Kalchik) Paul played college basketball at Lake Superior State, graduating in 2022. Her former program mourned her passing in a news release this weekend.

In addition to inspiring many with her #TakingBackWhatCancerTookFromMe series on TikTok and Instagram, Paul published This Is What It Feels Like – A Book of Poems Written By A Cancer Patient, a collection of 45 poems and illustrations, in September 2025.

“Over time, people started following along, offering encouragement and sending messages of support," Paul told PEOPLE in November 2025. “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.”