Happy 23rd heavenly birthday Bailey - uncle of tragic animal lover who suffered online abuse pays tribute
Bailey, who was only 22, suffered a relentless campaign of online abuse in the weeks leading up to his death. He would have turned 23 today.
The uncle of tragic animal lover Bailey Lister, 22, who suffered a relentless campaign of online abuse in the weeks leading up to his death, and would have turned 23 today, has posted a heartbreaking message to him.
The 22-year-old, was tragically found dead on Thursday after suffering an online campaign of 'abuse' and 'vitriol' which friends claim lasted for months, with those closest to Bailey insisting that the criticism escalated around the time Bailey was evicted from land in Hambleton which he used to run his charity Hugo's Small Animal Sanctuary.
He set up his sanctuary a few years ago after he rescued a rat called Hugo as a child which drove him on to work full-time saving other small animals. He offered a rescue for small pets such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs as well as birds.
However, following his eviction from the Hambleton site, he had been forced to wind down the operation and find homes for the animals in his care.
The sanctuary was allegedly always short of cash and Bailey ran countless fundraising campaigns to pay for enough food to feed his rescues. At one point in 2022, he said he was down to his last £500. He had also been plagued by 'vicious unfounded rumours' that he had failed to care for his animals properly.
Many unrelenting hateful posts circulated on social media for the past few weeks which have since been taken down this week after news of his death.
His uncle Luke who called Bailey his “Forever Dr Dolittle”, paid a gut wrenching tribute to him today on his birthday.
He said: “Happy 23rd heavenly birthday, Bailey.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t miss your kindness and the light you brought us.
“I wish more than anything we were celebrating with you here.
“I love you and I’m holding you close today and always.”
His mum Leanne posted: “Sleep tight my boy, you’re no longer suffering in this cruel world. I love you forever and always.”
The family have asked not to be contacted at this time to allow them space to grieve their loss.
Taking the news in, hundreds of people also paid beautiful tributes to Bailey - a testament that shows just how warm and caring a person he was and what he meant to so many.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the funeral costs. If you would like to donate to help with the funeral costs for Bailey, click here
HELP IS AVAILABLE
If you have been affected by online abuse and are struggling with your mental health, there are a number of free helplines available.
Here are some of the groups you can contact :
Samaritans: 116 123.
PAPYRUS: Suicide prevention charity - 0800 068 4141.