A former child star from Australia died when the Los Angeles wildfires devastated his family’s property in Malibu, California, earlier this week. The information was confirmed by the actor’s mother.
Rory Callum Sykes was at the family property, Mount Malibu TV Studios, where he had his own home, when it caught fire on January 8, his mother, Shelley Sykes, wrote on the X social network Thursday (9).
Shelley Sykes described her son, who appeared in the 1998 British TV series “Kiddy Kapers,” as “beautiful” and “wonderful” and said she was “completely heartbroken” by his death.
She said she tried to put out the ash from the fire on the roof of her property using a hose, but was unable to do so because the water was not working.
“He said, ‘Mom leave me’ and no mother can leave her child. And I have a broken arm, I couldn’t lift it, I couldn’t move it,” Shelley told Australia’s 10 News First.
His son, 32, was born blind with cerebral palsy on July 29, 1992, and became famous for his speeches about overcoming disability. He was the co-founder of Happy Charity, which, according to its website, provides “Hope, Happiness and Health to those who are Suffering.”
“He overcame a lot with surgeries and therapies to regain his vision and learn to walk. Despite the pain, he was still excited to travel the world with me, from Africa to Antarctica,” wrote Shelley Sykes on X.
She said her son was born in Britain but lived in Australia, then the United States. He was “a gift born on my and his grandmother’s birthday,” she wrote.
On his website, Sykes describes himself as a professional speaker and consultant for many companies, including the Tony Robbins Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
In an appearance with his mother on the Australian television program “Mornings with Kerri-Anne” in 2003, he talked about traveling to the United States to speak at a Tony Robbins motivational conference.
“It doesn’t matter what happens to you in life, what matters is what you do about it,” he told viewers.
An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokesperson told CNN that it is aware of the death of an Australian citizen and is “working closely with local authorities” to assist his family.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to his family. Our thoughts are with them,” the spokesperson said.
This content was originally published in Former child actor from Australia dies in wildfires in California on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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