Raines created a successful YouTube channel dedicated to her advocacy efforts rescuing foxes from fur farms.

Raines created a successful YouTube channel dedicated to her advocacy efforts rescuing foxes from fur farms.

Animal rescue activist and YouTube star Mikayla Raines has died by suicide, according to her husband. She was 29.

Ethan Raines announced her death in an emotional video he posted to her YouTube channel on Monday.

He said that for years his wife suffered from various mental health issues and struggled to cope with online criticism.

“She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer, and she ended her life,” he said. “And it breaks my heart that someone who is selfless and devoted her life to animals could have so much negativity pointed at her.”

  • Abigail (she/her)English
    6•8 hours ago

    That still sounds like victim blaming to me? Yes, there are a ton of shit people in the world, but I feel like rather than “she shouldn’t have taken up that career”, we should instead be fighting back against the idea that people are allowed to be this shitty:

    • What’s up with these people that they give out so much abuse?
    • Did YouTube and other sites do anything to protect her?
    • What else can we do to protect vulnerable people from abuse while letting them do their job?
    • What support did she get? Could she have had more?
    • How can we prevent this from happening to the next content creator?

    I don’t know the answer to these, but just saying ‘she shouldn’t have started in the first place’ feels like a massive cop out to me.

    • RachelEnglish
      3•8 hours ago

      Depressed people are told to get out and touch grass and do something good for the world, some go and do that and then get attacked and bullied for doing something good in the world. Then someone says well they shouldn’t have done this or not. IMO I would agree its victim blaming. Mental health systems suck in many countries where people rarely get the help they need and then people online bring cruel and inhumane because they can hide behind a screen.