How Did Carlo Acutis Die?
Carlo Acutis died at just 15 years old from a sudden and aggressive leukaemia. This is the story of his short illness and the extraordinary peace with which he met death.
The Short Answer
Carlo Acutis died on 12 October 2006 from acute promyelocytic leukaemia, a fast-moving cancer of the blood. What began as what seemed like an ordinary throat infection turned out to be a serious illness, and he died only days later, aged 15, offering his suffering for the Pope and the Church.
A Sudden Illness
At the start of October 2006, Carlo developed what looked like a common complaint: an inflamed, sore throat. A doctor first thought it was a mild infection. Within days, however, his condition grew worse. He became very tired, and there was blood in his urine, a sign that something far more serious was happening in his body.
By Sunday 8 October, Carlo was too weak to get out of bed to go to Mass, something almost unheard of for a boy who had attended daily Mass since the age of seven.
The Diagnosis
Carlo was taken to hospital and admitted to a clinic that specialised in blood diseases. There he was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (M3), one of the most aggressive forms of the illness. He was given little chance of recovery, moved to intensive care, and placed on a ventilator.
When his mother asked if he was in pain, Carlo replied that there were people suffering much more than he was.
Offering His Suffering
Even as his body failed, Carlo's faith did not waver. He offered his suffering for the Church and for the Pope, saying: "I offer all the suffering I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope, and for the Church, so as not to go through Purgatory but to go straight to Heaven."
Among his last recorded words were: "I am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting even a minute on things that do not please God." His peace astonished the doctors and nurses who cared for him.
His Death And What Followed
Carlo fell into a coma and his heart stopped on the morning of 12 October 2006. He was 15 years old. He had asked to be buried in Assisi because of his deep love for Saint Francis.
His body was later moved to the Sanctuary of the Spogliazione in Assisi, where he rests today. The anniversary of his death, 12 October, is now kept as his feast day. Read the full story of his life in his biography.