Lee MacMillan, an influencer known for traveling the world in her van, has died. She was 28.
MacMillan died Friday in Santa Barbara, Calif., Friday after going missing, Santa Barbara Police Lt. Joshua Morton said in apress release.
The statement continued, “If we can do one thing for Lee now, in the midst of this soul-crushing loss, it’s to spread the message that mental health is just as real as physical health, and that illness can strike anyone, no matter how unlikely they may seem. It’s ok to not be ok, it’s ok to ask for help, it’s absolutely necessary to ask for help.”
“Lee was an advocate for mental health. She was candid and open about her own struggles. She was receiving help: from professionals, from family, from friends. She had support around her. She was not alone, she was not trying to fight this alone,” the post said. “And yet she still succumbed to this terrible illness. It is more nuanced than we can, or do, appreciate or understand.”
MacMillan built up a social media following with her ex-boyfriend Max Bidstrup as they took on adventures with their dog Occy in a travel van. On their YouTube channelMax & Lee, they amassed 497,000 followers.
MacMillan went on to launch her own channel in December titledLife with Lee, which had 49,800 followers.
The traveler updated fans in January on what she had been up to in the year since she’d been off YouTube. MacMillan said that she was working on her mental health, had picked up golf and cycling, and began dating Jordan Chiu.
She also started the process to build another travel van, after taking a break amid the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic. The “shiny” new van, she excitedly shared, had a key start from her phone.
“This is the very first vehicle that I own on my own,” MacMillan revealed in one video.
He added, “Rest easy puppy. I love you more than you will ever know.”
MacMillan’s ex alsoshared a touching message.
“It was always you ❤️,” Bidstrup said. “You were the best thing to ever happen to me. You were the best person I have ever met. I fell in love with you the day we met yet you were still the stronger one that said ‘I love you’ first. I never stopped loving you Mountie, I hope you know that ❤️.”
The Australian travel influencer concluded, “I will always cherish my time with you in this world and hope beyond hope to see you in the next.”
Lee MacMillan/instagram
source: people.com
