Less than a week after Save A Fox rescue founder Mikayla Raines died by suicide, her husband, Ethan Frankamp, is speaking out and sharing his grief.

"I'm going to be honest, I don't have any words to describe it. It's definitely been the hardest week of my life, for sure," Frankamp said.

Frankamp says he discovered Raines Friday morning. Despite efforts to save her life with CPR, she died. Raines leaves behind a young daughter.

"It's been really difficult trying to watch [our daughter] comprehend what's going on because she doesn't know, and I can't explain it to her," Frankamp said. "I don't have the words to explain it to her. Just trying to explain it to her that mommy's gone."

Frankamp reiterated Thursday that Raines had struggled with online bullying, including from people close to her. He says that, paired with recent levels of increasing stress, could be overwhelming.

"There's a bunch of different places where this just kind of all adds up," he said. "And even though she would always see so many positive comments on stuff she was doing, she took the negative ones very personally."

The Rice County Sheriff's Office says the investigation into Raines' death is still open. Frankamp says he would hope to see some sort of accountability for the people commenting hatred online.

"I do hope there's accountability. Not just from a legal aspect, or a criminal aspect, but just if the people that did this can have the time to self-reflect on what they've said and what they've done. And how just a simple comment online can be such a personal thing online to someone that's reading it," Frankamp said.

Raines founded Save A Fox in Lakeville, Minnesota, in 2017, and was soon at odds with the City Council for violating her permit by taking in more than twice the number of foxes allowed and by expanding the fencing on her property, according to city officials. 

"Ninety percent of the foxes that come through here are getting re-homed," she told WCCO in 2017. "I consider them my family." 

Despite her permit loss, she received $60,000 in donations in just three months, leading her to open a bigger operation near Faribault in Rice County. 

Raines told WCCO she began caring for animals as a teenager, first taking in a fox when she was 19.

"These foxes need a place to go, so I want to make that happen," she said in 2019. "And I'm going to do whatever it takes to do that."

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). 

For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.