Weeks after YouTuber and animal activist Mikayla Raines was reported dead, with her husband announcing that she had taken her own life, an official cause of death has been revealed by Minnesota authorities.
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According to Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office documents obtained by PEOPLE, Raines died by suicide. Furthermore, the medical examiner showed that she died on June 20 after she hanged herself in her barn located in Faribault, Minnesota.
Days after her untimely death, her husband, Ethan Frankamp, revealed that Mikayla had died in an emotional and shocking video announcement. Describing it as the “biggest loss of my life,” Ethan performed CPR on Mikayla after finding her, waiting for first responders to arrive.
“We have suffered a loss that is unimaginable,” Ethan captioned the video. “Mikayla was truly the most amazing and inspiring individual I have ever known, and not having her here makes everything feel empty. I feel broken.”
Ethan detailed how Mikayla was on the autism spectrum. This allowed her to hyperfocus on one thing, which allowed her to work tirelessly in her animal activism, founding Save a Fox, a nonprofit that specializes in saving foxes.
Moreover, her YouTube channel amassed 2.4 million subscribers.
Cyberbullying
However, Ethan said that Mikayla was very sensitive, which was a “double-edged sword.” This made it particularly difficult for her to cope with online harassment, with Ethan stating that she and her nonprofit had been the target of an “online bullying campaign.”
According to Ethan, people online piled on her, with workers from “other animal sanctuaries” joining in. Worst of all, people close to Mikayla Raines also joined the bullying.
A Change.org petition alleged that the SaveAFoxSnark subreddit had specifically targeted Mikayla Raines. Alongside other snark subreddits, it is believed that the harassment the YouTuber received from the site contributed to her eventual suicide.
On July 1, an update announced that Reddit had banned the SaveAFoxSnark subreddit. Additionally, the site announced stricter guidelines regarding subreddits involved in cyberbullying.
Mikayla Raines was 29 at the time of her death.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline​. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.