YouTube Star Mikayla Raines Dead by Suicide, Husband Blames Online Bullying

A YouTuber known for running an animal rescue devoted to saving foxes has died by suicide, according to her husband.

Mikayla Raines, the woman behind the SaveAFox pages on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, boasting millions of followers, took her own life following years of online bullying, her husband Ethan said in an emotional video shared online Monday.

Raines, 29, leaves behind her husband and daughter, Freya.

In a 12-minute video posted to the rescue’s pages, Ethan said he and his family “have suffered a loss that is unimaginable.”

Explaining Raines was on the autism spectrum and also dealt with both depression and borderline personality disorder, Ethan shared she was “always in an out of different kinds of therapy” and tried “different mood stabilizers and meds.” Those, however, never “seemed to help.”

Per Ethan, Raines “took negative to heart,” claiming that over the last “few years” there has been “a group of people” who have been “throwing dirt on Mikayla’s name and rescue.”

“Most of these are people she knew and some of them are other animal sanctuaries. They consistently spread ridiculous claims and rumors and, being the sensitive human she was, Mikayla took it all to heart,” he explained. “It hurt her, it hurt her a lot.”

“Recently, some of the rude words, accusations and name-calling came from some of those she considered close friends. I think all of this stems from jealousy and envy, but she felt as if the entire world had turned against her,” he continued, before revealing her death by suicide.

“She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer and she ended her life and it breaks my heart that someone who is selfless and devoted her life to animals, could have so much negativity pointed at her,” he said through tears. “Why? That’s all I can ask, is why? In a world that’s filled with darkness, she was just light. She was just light.”

Ethan then shared a message to “those of you that pushed her to this, every one of you that that been responsible for making her feel this way.”

“I wish you had to feel what she felt. I wish you had to feel what I feel. I wish you had to see me find her and I wish you had to watch me perform CPR on her for 15 minutes until the first responders arrived,” he exclaimed. “And I wish you had to watch helplessly as paramedics attempted to revive her lifeless body. I wish you had to hear the screams and cries of her family. I wish you had to see tiny, heartbroken Freya try to understand why she can never see her mommy again.”

“I wish you understood what you were doing before you did it, before it had to go this far, and I wish you understood words to have real and terrible consequences,” he concluded. “If you only have negative garbage to say, just shut up.”

Ethan shared that this was “a video I never planned on making,” praising his wife for her years of advocacy and how she dedicated her life to protecting animals. Calling her “one of the most selfless people I have ever known,” he said that “not having her here makes everything feel empty.”

He also urged anyone feeling hopeless to reach out for help, and told others to “keep an eye on those around you.” Despite feeling like he has a “literal hole in my chest,” Ethan then vowed to continue her advocacy work and keep SaveAFox going without her.

“I have to see her goals and dreams realized,” he said, “I love you Mikayla … I will always love you so much. And I miss you.”

Raines started the Minnesota-based SaveAFox back in 2017.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.