A heartbreaking announcement was made by the husband of a well-known fox rescue YouTuber, revealing that she has died by suicide.
Mikayla Raines, a 29-year-old YouTuber, was cherished by her audience for her dedication to animal rescue. In 2017, she established a fox sanctuary in Minnesota, which became a significant part of her online identity.
Her husband, Ethan, shared in a tearful video that Raines, the founder of Save A Fox Rescue, ended her life due to persistent ‘ridiculous claims and rumors’ circulated about her on social media over the years.
Through Raines’ YouTube channel, Ethan detailed how individuals within the animal rescue community contributed to spreading these rumors, which ultimately led to her tragic decision.
In his heartfelt message to fans, Ethan expressed the profound impact these rumors had on her mental well-being, saying: “Being the sensitive human that she was, Mikayla took it all to heart.”
Raines, who was on the autism spectrum, faced challenges with depression and borderline personality disorder, which contributed to ‘emotional instability and impulsive behaviors.’
This made her particularly vulnerable to the criticism she received, leaving her feeling as though ‘the entire world had turned against her,’ leading her to take her life a ‘couple [of] days ago’.
“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,” Ethan continued.
“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.”
The situation worsened with an increase in ‘rude words, accusations and name-calling’ shared online by those she considered friends.
“She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer and she ended her life,” Ethan shared. “It breaks my heart that someone who is selfless and devoted her life to animals could have so much negativity pointed at her.”
Reflecting on the family’s grief, Ethan mentioned that he wished those responsible for the negative comments could witness their daughter’s reaction upon learning about her mother’s death.
“I wish you had to see tiny heartbroken Freya try to understand why she could never see her mommy again,” he said. “I wish you understood what you were doing before you did it, before it had to go this far, and I wish you understood that words do have real and terrible consequences.”
Ethan is determined to carry on his wife’s mission, assuring her supporters that he will not let her ‘light to be extinguished’.
He concluded his message with, “I love you, Mikayla. I will always love you so much and I miss you.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.