Youtube star Mikayla Raines has died by suicide at the age of 29.
Her husband, Ethan, confirmed Monday that Mikayla took her own life after a ‘targeted online bullying campaign.’
In an 11-minute video, Ethan claimed that the harassment came from a variety of sources, including strangers, other members of the wildlife rescue community, and even people Mikayla knew well.
Ethan said of the alleged abuse: ‘They spread false rumors, and being the sensitive person she was, it deeply affected her.
‘She tried for years to push through the pain, but this time it was too much.’
A devoted wildlife rescuer with over 500,000 Instagram followers, Mikayla founded the Minnesota-based nonprofit Save A Fox to rescue and rehabilitate foxes and other exotic animals.
The organization, which now operates in both Minnesota and Florida, has attracted a massive following online, with its YouTube channel boasting more than 2.4million subscribers.
Mikayla’s passion for animals began early: at just 15, she started volunteering with a wildlife rehabilitator, laying the foundation for the mission that would define her life.
She founded her organisation, Save A Fox, in 2016 when she was just 20 years old.
Ethan continued in the video, saying how some of the ‘rude words, accusations and name-calling came from some of those she considered close friends.’
Ethan also shared that Mikayla had been suffering from severe mental health challenges, including depression, autism, and borderline personality disorder – challenges with symptoms that were exacerbated by the bullying.
He continued: ‘As many of you know she was on the autism spectrum and while that made her life very difficult it allowed her to hyperfocus on one thing and that one thing was obviously animals.
‘From a young age she dedicated every waking hour of her life to helping them, whether it was helping a snapping turtle cross the road or saving 500 foxes from a terrible fur farm.’
He added: ‘She was never in it for fame money or personal gain. She was truly one of the most selfless people I have ever known.’
He made his grief about his wife’s passing clear, saying, ‘I feel broken.’
He added: ‘Mikayla was truly the most amazing and inspiring individual I have ever known, and not having her here makes everything feel empty.’
The Instagram post sharing the sad news was quickly flooded with condolences from others in the wildlife rescue community, including from Juniper the Fox, a famous rescued fox who has 3.4m Instagram followers.
The account wrote: ‘This is so tragic. So many in our community have foxes that only came to us because of Mikayla’s dedication to her mission and empathy toward animals. We will all carry a small piece of her light that lives on through them.
‘There are really no words to describe how sorry I am for your loss and the pain that you and all of her loved ones are suffering. I hope her memory continues to bring all of you strength. 🤍’
Fellow wildlife activist @kinkatopia wrote: ‘This is so incredibly heartbreaking, Mikayla was an incredible person, and helped inspire me over a decade ago as we grew into operating animal rescues.
‘My soul hurts and I truly hope this can open up a dialogue within the animal community about cyber bullying. It’s happening on a daily basis and it needs to stop. When did we start treating animal rescuers inhumanely?’
Mikayla is survived by her husband, Ethan, and their daughter, Freya.
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