Catholic Influencer's 5-Year-Old Son Dies After Flu Diagnosis, Leaving Online Community in Mourning

A Light Dimmed Too Soon

On a quiet Tuesday morning, the Instagram feed that normally radiated bedtime prayers and first-day-of-school smiles went dark. Catholic influencer Grace Marie—known to 1.3 million followers for her rosary reels and “Sunday-mass outfits”—shared the news no parent ever imagines typing: her five-year-old son, Leo, had died in his sleep less than 48 hours after testing positive for influenza A.

From Fever to Funeral in 36 Hours

Grace’s husband, Daniel, a youth minister in Steubenville, Ohio, told the story in a trembling voice during Wednesday’s parish vigil. Leo spiked a 102-degree fever Monday night. By dawn he was sipping apple juice and watching Bluey, the family recalled. “We thought it was the usual bug,” Daniel said. “He asked if Jesus liked cinnamon rolls. I said yes. That was our last conversation.”

“We did everything the pediatrician said—Tamiflu, Tylenol, hydration. But his heart just… stopped.”
—Grace Marie, Instagram Stories, 7:04 a.m. ET

A Digital Village Grieves

Within minutes of Grace’s post, #PrayForLeo overtook #SuperBowl on Twitter. EWTN anchors paused programming to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. A GoFundMe launched by fellow Catholic creator @CatholicMomVibes surpassed $400,000—money the family says will now cover funeral costs and a pediatric-flu-awareness foundation in Leo’s name.

• More than 60,000 viewers joined a live-streamed rosary Wednesday night.
• Dioceses across 38 U.S. states rang church bells at 5 p.m. Thursday—five chimes for five years.
• Amazon’s Catholic children’s booklist sold out after Grace listed Leo’s favorites.

A Wake-Up Call on Pediatric Flu

Health officials stress that while rare, rapid flu complications can overwhelm a child’s heart. “Parents should watch for retractions, blue lips, or extreme lethargy,” said Dr. Monica Patel, pediatric infectious-disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic. This season’s H3N2 strain has already claimed 38 pediatric lives nationwide, CDC data show—double last year’s count.

Faith in the Face of Absence

At Thursday’s funeral, the homily drew on today’s Gospel: “Let the children come to me.” Grace, clutching Leo’s beloved stuffed lamb, repeated the line through tears. Mourners received a prayer card printed with Leo’s final crayon drawing: a golden gate and the words “Hi, Jesus!” scrawled underneath.

The family has asked supporters to honor Leo by scheduling flu shots, donating blood, or simply reading a child an extra bedtime story—because, as Grace wrote, “tomorrow is never promised, but love is.”