According to his mother, Rory Callum Sykes, a former child actor, is one of the people who have perished in the terrible wildfires in Los Angeles.
The 32-year-old, who had cerebral palsy and was blind, unfortunately died when fierce flames destroyed the family’s home close to Malibu.
Shelley, his distraught mother, has described how she fought valiantly to save her son and the property but returned to discover the 17-acre estate “burnt to the ground.”
Rory, who was born in Britain and immigrated to Australia as a toddler, disproved medical professionals’ predictions that he would live his entire life blind and in a wheelchair.
Despite his health problems, he managed to learn to walk, run, and see. Shelley wrote a parenting book called Callum’s Cure about her “miracle on legs.”
Rory has ‘overcome so much’ in his life, she claimed, including going through ‘therapies to restore his sight and to be able to learn how to walk’.
The kid actor, who starred in the British RTV series Kiddy Kapers in 1998, tragically passed away on Wednesday, January 8, as a result of the fumes from the massive Palisades Fire that was raging in Los Angeles.
‘Totally sad’ to lose her ‘beautiful kid’ under such terrible circumstances, Shelley wrote in a message posted on Twitter.
She wrote: “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son Rory Sykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heartbroken.”
“British born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine & his grandmas birthday 29 July, 92.”
“Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”
Rory, she explained, was ‘decked up with all the newest Apple gear’ in his own separate home on their acreage in Los Angeles.
Shelley claimed that the ‘water was cut off’ when she attempted in vain to use a hose to put out the cinders she saw on his roof.
The mother said that her “baby had died needlessly” in an interview with the Australian news organization 10 News First.
“All the phone lines were down,” Shelley said. “[Rory] said, ‘Mum, leave me’. No mum can leave their kid. I’ve got a broken arm, I couldn’t lift him, I couldn’t move him.”
The author claimed that after failing to call 911, she drove a quarter of a mile through the dense smoke plumes that were enveloping the region in an attempt to obtain assistance.
She said she was told they had ‘no water’ after locating some emergency personnel.
“I said, ‘Oh my god, my son is locked in his room,” Shelley continued. “When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burnt to the ground.”
Shelley said that Rory died from carbon monoxide poisoning, although cadaver dogs have not yet found his remains.
“I didn’t want any pain for my baby,” she emotionally added.
Rory’s mother claims that his passing has not yet been included in the official death toll, according to The New York Post.
Eleven people have died as a result of the wildfires thus far, and authorities have cautioned that the death toll will probably increase in the days ahead.
Despite the destruction of her estate, Shelley has declared that she is “not going to move” and mentioned intentions to renovate the house.
“That’s going to be a special place for Rory and I,” she added. “We’ll make it even more beautiful than it already was.”
A representative for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed The West Australian that a family affected by the flames in Los Angeles was receiving diplomatic support.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” the statement read.
“The Consulate-General in Los Angeles is continuing to monitor the wildfires across California, including information on evacuation orders and warnings, as well as evacuation shelters.”
“We encourage Australians to keep informed and stay safe by following the advice of local authorities and subscribe to Smartraveller for updates.”
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