The death of Mikayla Raines, a fox rescue activist and YouTube star, was first announced by her husband Ethan Raines on June 22

The heartbreaking cause of death of Mikayla Raines — a beloved YouTuber, autism advocate, and founder of Save A Fox rescue — has been confirmed by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.

Raines, who had amassed a devoted following of over 2.4 million subscribers through her emotional, educational content centered on rescuing and caring for foxes and other exotic animals, died by suicide on June 20.

Her husband, Ethan Raines, announced the tragic news two days later in a tearful Instagram video that left many fans stunned and grieving.

Mikayla’s body was discovered in the barn on her property in Faribault, Minnesota, the very sanctuary where she had built a life dedicated to healing wounded and abandoned animals.

According to the medical examiner’s report, the 29-year-old died by hanging. In Ethan’s video, he painfully recounted the moment he found her, saying he tried to perform CPR for 15 minutes until emergency responders arrived, but their efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.

“She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer,” Ethan said, describing his wife’s death as “the biggest loss of my life.” Their daughter, Freya, he added, was left heartbroken by the sudden absence of her mother.

While the world saw Mikayla as a warm, brilliant force in the world of animal care and rehabilitation, those closest to her knew she had long battled emotional pain beneath the surface.

Ethan revealed that Mikayla was on the autism spectrum, a condition that gifted her with intense focus — especially when it came to animals — but also left her vulnerable to emotional overload.

Her heightened empathy, he said, made her uniquely devoted to every creature she rescued, but also left her deeply affected by negativity and criticism.

That sensitivity was tested in recent years, as Ethan claimed Mikayla had become the target of a growing campaign of online bullying.

Distressingly, much of the harassment allegedly came from individuals she once trusted — even from people who worked in other animal rescue communities.

“She pushed through it for a long time,” Ethan said in his message, “but it got worse when people she considered close friends joined in.” According to him, Mikayla felt as if her entire world had turned against her in the final months of her life.

Even her last social media posts, seen now through a tragic lens, reflected her deep connection to the animals she loved.

Her followers have flooded the comment sections of her final videos with tributes and messages of sorrow. Many expressed guilt, regret, and shock that someone so full of light on camera could be suffering so deeply in private.

Beyond her viral videos and sanctuary work, Mikayla was a symbol of fierce compassion in an often indifferent world. Save A Fox, the nonprofit she founded and ran from her rural Minnesota property, became one of the internet’s most recognizable animal rescue platforms.

Her educational videos about the unique needs and personalities of foxes helped shift public perception about exotic animal rescue and inspired countless people to support or pursue similar missions.

But behind the scenes, Mikayla was fighting an invisible battle — one worsened by cruelty, isolation, and the intense pressure of living publicly online.

Ethan’s final plea in his video was for others who feel hopeless to reach out, to talk to someone, and not carry the weight alone.

Her death has reignited important conversations about the toll of cyberbullying, the mental health challenges faced by creators and advocates, and the urgent need for compassion — not only toward animals, but toward each other.

Mikayla Raines gave her life to making the world gentler for those who had no voice. In losing her, that mission becomes even more critical.

She leaves behind a grieving husband, a devastated child, a shattered fanbase, and an animal sanctuary that stands as a living testament to her passion and purpose.