Heartbreaking tributes pour in after Army solider and influencer Michelle Young dies by suicide just days after her young daughter’s birthday
A US Army soldier and fitness influencer has died by suicide just days after her daughter’s 12th birthday.
On January 20, friends of Staff Sergeant Michelle Young, 34, shared the news that she had committed suicide. Days earlier, Young shared a post in honor of her daughter Gracie’s birthday with her audience of more than 100,000 followers.
“Happy birthday to the sweetest girl I have ever known,” Young wrote. “She is a force to be reckoned with: she is witty, ambitious, kind, compassionate, intelligent, hardworking, hilarious and selfless.
“I cried the whole time I made this. I love you forever, little one. The best part of my life is being your mother.”
Her death has led to an outpouring of tributes from friends online and on her social media pages.
‘Michelle was always so nice to me. We often talked about our daughters and how similar they are,” friend Brianna Hasan wrote on a GoFundMe page. “I know she loved Gracie more than anything. I can’t believe this happened.’
US Army soldier and influencer Michelle Young, 34, died by suicide just days after her daughter’s 12th birthday
Young was a staff sergeant who served two tours in Afghanistan. She enlisted in the Army at age 17 and returned home at age 24, shortly after her daughter’s second birthday
Friends remembered Young as a loving single mother to 12-year-old Gracie
The Prescott, Arizona, native enlisted in the Army at the age of 17. She returned from her first deployment seven years later, shortly after her daughter’s second birthday.
“I was in the military before I became a mom,” Young wrote on Instagram. ‘I volunteered for this life, she didn’t. She had to be away from her only parent for multiple deployments, TDYs and training, but she never complains.”
In October, Young posted a series of photos of her and Gracie — both adoring Chiefs fans — dressed as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
The 34-year-old served two tours in Afghanistan, most recently in 2021. That same year, she extended her military contract for another twenty years. As of September she had served 16.
In her spare time, Young worked as a crisis and trauma response volunteer, while also volunteering at a local homeless shelter for women and children. In one post, she explained that her passion for service was sparked by her own brother’s suicide.
“That day changed my life forever, but it also created a passion for helping others that I don’t think I would have had if I hadn’t experienced the pain of losing him,” Young explained.
Military values ran deep in her family. The soldier often spoke about her grandfather, a Navy veteran who served in World War II.
“Growing up, the thought of joining the military never crossed my mind,” the 34-year-old wrote, adding that the only person she knew who had served at the time of her enlistment was her grandfather. “I didn’t know any women who were in the military.”
The soldier had more than 100,000 Instagram followers, where she regularly shared photos from her holidays abroad
The 34-year-old served two tours in Afghanistan, most recently in 2021. That same year, she extended her military contract for another twenty years. As of September she had served 16
In her spare time, Young volunteered at a local homeless shelter and worked as a crisis and trauma response volunteer
The 34-year-old also modeled for Curves N Combatboots, a veteran-owned activewear brand
The mother of one lost her own brother to suicide, sparking a passion to help others
Sarah Maine, the COO of veteran-owned activewear brand Curves N Combatboots, broke the news of Young’s death through a GoFundMe campaign.
“Our dear friend and athlete Michelle was taken from us by suicide,” she wrote.
“Michelle was a beautiful soul, a wonderful friend, a single mother, a soldier, and it’s proof that you never know what someone is going through or what demons they are fighting.”
Young’s daughter, Maine explained, “was her whole world,” and the campaign was organized to help Gracie “with whatever she needs.” We know Michelle would appreciate it if we all took care of her now.”
It is unclear how and where Young took her life.
Friends left comments as part of the campaign to commemorate Young’s life.
“Michelle was an angel when I needed one, and I could never repay her for her kindness on this earthly world. So I do it for her daughter,” Nicole Jimerson wrote.
On Facebook, Tatiana Mendes described Young, who was her maid of honor, as her “best friend.”
“I don’t know how I will ever survive without your light in my life,” Mendes wrote. “You touched so many of our lives. The thought of you being gone is unfathomable.”
She added, “I promise I will be there for Gracie forever and ever. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.’
Young often spoke of her grandfather, a World War II veteran who served in the Navy, writing in a message that he was the only person she knew who had served at the time of her enlistment
In a GoFundMe campaign, a friend noted that Young’s daughter was “her whole world.”
She was remembered as “a beautiful soul, a wonderful friend, a single mother, a soldier” and “proof that you never know what someone is going through or what demons they are fighting.”
A friend described Young as “an angel when I needed one” and lamented that she “could never repay her for her kindness on this earthly world.”
Young’s last Instagram post was dedicated to her daughter on her birthday. “The best part of my life is being your mother,” she wrote
“I wish you would have called my old friend,” one friend wrote, sharing a photo of the duo together. “I hope you found the peace you were looking for.”
Vet Radio Syndicate, a veteran-focused media outlet, remembered Young as “a dear friend and an amazing soul.”
Vet Radio Syndicate, a veteran-focused media station, remembered Young as “a dear friend and an amazing soul.”
“We sponsored her at some of her fitness competitions and at her appearances and shows about recruiting for the Army and National Guard,” read a post on social media.
“Yesterday she committed suicide and the demons won the battle she faced. No one knows what drives people over the edge and sometimes those demons just won’t let go.
“Hand salute young lady, you will be missed.”
Tyr Symank, a fellow soldier and longtime friend of Young’s, left his own message reflecting on her life.
“I wish you would have called my old friend,” he wrote, sharing a photo of the duo together. “I hope you found the peace you were looking for.”
Symank shared another illustration on Instagram of Young with angel wings hugging her daughter.
He captioned the post: “At her core, past the mental health issues, the personal dramas, the social media… this is what I knew Michelle to be.”