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- Van-life influencer Lee Macmillan committed suicide on Friday.
- Her death was announced on her Instagram, as well as on the account she shared with her ex-partner.
- Macmillan’s relatives shared that she had “fought a courageous battle with depression.”
- Visit the Insider homepage for more stories.
Lee Macmillan, a Canadian van-life influencer, has died aged 28.
Macmillan committed suicide on Friday. News of her death came with identical posts to Macmillan’s personal Instagram account and the account she shared with ex-partner Max Bidstrup on Wednesday.
“After living an extraordinary life and fighting a courageous battle with depression, our hearts are broken to share that Lee committed suicide on Friday,” the post read. “She was the brightest light, a magnetic force of nature and was loved by so many people.”
“If there is one thing we can do for Lee now, in the midst of this heartbreaking loss, it’s to spread the message that mental health is just as real as physical health, and that disease can strike anyone, too. improbable though. seems, ”the post continued. “It’s good not to be well, it’s OK to ask for help, it is absolutely necessary to ask for help.”
The post also said that Macmillan, who was a mental health advocate, had “received help” for his depression from his personal and “professional” support systems.
“She was not alone, she was not trying to fight this alone,” the statement said. “And yet she succumbed to this terrible disease again. It is more nuanced than what we can, or do, appreciate or understand.
“Life is more complex than a single social media post. Things are complicated. Don’t believe what you see online,” the post read. “Get out into the world and talk to your loved ones. Check in. Really ask them how they’re doing. Be available to help. To listen. To offer help. Remove the stigma of asking for help.”
Additionally, Macmillan’s relatives launched the hashtag #speakupforlee to raise awareness about mental health.
Macmillan had been well known in the van-life community since 2016
Macmillan became a van-life influencer after meeting Bidstrup in Canada in 2016, according to The Daily Mail.
The then couple decided to travel together full time, visiting 16 countries with their dog and gathering plenty of social media. At the time of writing, the former couple’s shared Instagram has over 70,000 subscribers while their YouTube account has nearly 500,000 subscribers.
Macmillan and Bidstrup went their separate ways in early 2020, announcing their separation on Instagram. Their break-up post was the last message shared on the account until news of Macmillan’s death.
Bidstrup posted an article about Macmillan’s death on his own Instagram account, writing, “You were the best thing that ever happened to me. You were the best person I have ever met.”
“I never stopped loving you,” Bidstrup wrote. “I will always cherish my time with you in this world and I hope beyond hope to see you in the next one.”
At the time of his death, Macmillan was in a relationship with Jordan Chiu. He also posted a tribute to his late partner on Wednesday.
“You were a dream beyond my wildest dreams,” Chiu wrote. “You filled my heart to burst and you stretched it more than I imagined was possible.”
“You were my person, my partner, my best friend,” Chiu wrote. “Every day with you was an adventure and I hope that wherever you are you have found peace and hugs. Rest easy puppy. I love you more than you will ever know.
Macmillan’s shared Instagram account, Bidstrup, Chiu and Lee and Bidstrup all have #speakupforlee in their bios at the time of writing.
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