Kind-hearted community donate thousands to help give tragic teen Bailey Lister the send off he deserves
The GoFundMe was set up after his death to give him the send off he deserves and has now reached its total.
Kind-hearted members of the community have united in their grief by donating thousands of pounds to help pay for the funeral of a young animal lover who was found dead earlier this month at the short age of just 22.
In the weeks leading up to his death Bailey Lister had suffered a relentless online campaign of bullying which friends claim lasted for months, with those closest to him 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.
However, Lancashire Police have since confirmed that Bailey was NOT being investigated for any wrongdoing.
Affectionately named Dr Doolittle, 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 after news of his death.
His uncle Luke who called Bailey his “Forever Dr Dolittle”, paid a gut wrenching tribute to him on what should have been his 23rd 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.
The GoFundMe, which has reached over £6,000 out of the £7,000 target, was 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.
National Bullying Helpline - 0300 323 0169.