Van Existence Influencer Lee MacMillan Commits Suicide at Age 28
Lee MacMillan, an influencer identified for documenting her global travels in a van, has taken her have life after battling despair. She become once 28.
Lee become once hit and killed by an Amtrak practice reach Santa Barbara, Calif. on Friday, March 26, local police said, according to local ABC and FOX records affiliate KEYT. Authorities said the influencer, a Canadian citizen who become once residing within the Santa Barbara dwelling for approximately six months, become once not too prolonged within the past reported lacking and had left her home with out taking her automobile, pockets, keys, ID and cellular phone. KEYT reported that police said they feared that Lee may maybe maybe well furthermore fair absorb been suicidal.
“After residing a rare life, and battling a courageous battle with despair, our hearts are shattered to portion that Lee took her life on Friday,” read a post on her Instagram page on Monday, March 29. “She become once the brightest gentle, a magnetic power of nature and become once loved by so so many.”
Lee and Australian companion Max Bidstrup documented on Instagram and YouTube their Dodge Sprinter van trips through Canada and South The usa with their dogs, Occy. The globe-trotting couple announced their breakup in January 2020. Occy went to are residing in Australia with Max, who furthermore saved the van and continued traveling on his have.
Final November, Lee introduced her Instagram followers to her contemporary boyfriend, Jordan Chiu, a fellow van life fanatic who she met all the intention through her past travels.
Instagram / Lee MacMillan
In January, Lee revealed on Instagram that she had obtained a camper van of her have and become once within the process of reconstructing its interior to flip it into a “contemporary adventure cellular.”
“You were a dream past my wildest dreams,” Jordan wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, March 30. “You crammed my heart up tubby to bursting and stretched it extra than what I ever imagined become once conceivable. You were my person, my companion, my easiest friend. Daily with you become once an adventure and I hope wherever it is most likely you’ll well be it is most likely you’ll well furthermore fair absorb stumbled on peace and snuggles. Leisure easy pet. I similar to you better than it is most likely you’ll well ever know.”
Lee’s ex Max furthermore shared a memorial tribute to Lee, alongside with photographs of the pair all the intention through joyful times.
“It become once at all times you [red heart emoji],” he wrote. “You were the most easy ingredient to ever happen to me. You were the most easy person I absorb ever met. I fell in cherish with you the day we met yet you were amassed the stronger one which said ‘I similar to you’ first. I never stopped loving you Mountie, I hope you realize that [red heart emoji]. I will at all times cherish my time with you on this world and hope past hope to search for you within the next. Assign some mini eggs for me.”
Lee’s page’s memorial post incorporated a message to her followers about psychological nicely being consciousness. It read, “If we are able to raise out one ingredient for Lee now, within the midst of this soul-crushing loss, it is to spread the message that psychological nicely being is staunch as proper as bodily nicely being, and that illness can strike somebody, no subject how not going they would well furthermore fair seem. Or not it is ok to not be okay, it is ok to request for abet, it is very vital to request for abet.”
“Lee become once an advocate for psychological nicely being,” the post continued. “She become once candid and birth about her have struggles. She become once receiving abet: from professionals, from family, from friends. She had make stronger around her. She become once not on my own, she become once not trying to fight this on my own. And yet she amassed succumbed to this dreadful illness. It is extra nuanced than we are able to, or elevate out, like or perceive.”
The post concluded with a message about social media. “Existence is extra complex than a single social media post. Things are sophisticated. Originate not speak what you search for on-line. Get out into the realm and take a look at alongside with your loved ones. Signal in. Search records from of them with out a doubt how they’re doing. Be readily accessible to abet. To listen to. To give abet. Take hang of away the stigma of requesting abet. Let’s spread the consciousness of this advise, for Lee and every body else who wants to listen to this: #speakupforlee.” And take your loved ones tight. Repeat them you cherish them. On yarn of life can switch in an instantaneous. We’re going so that you can head away out her with every fiber of our hearts.”
Whereas you or someone you realize wants abet, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
