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“He was my baby, guess what didn’t work? 911, all the phone lines were down,” the mother recalled.
Former child star Rory Callum Sykes died in the California wildfires. (Photo Credit: YouTube)
Rory Sykes, a former British child star who was both blind and living with cerebral palsy, tragically lost his life in the catastrophic California wildfires. His mother, Shelley Sykes, recounted her son’s heartbreaking final words: “Mum, leave me,” before he succumbed to the flames. At the time of the fire, Shelley was dealing with a broken arm, which hindered her ability to help Rory. Phone lines were down, preventing her from reaching emergency services. Desperate, Shelley drove to the nearest fire station, only to discover they had no water. By the time she returned home, Rory’s cottage had been engulfed in flames, and he passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Speaking with Australia’s 10 News First, Shelley said, “He was my baby, guess what didn’t work? 911, all the phone lines were down. He said, ‘Mum, leave me,’ and no mum can leave their kid, and I’ve got a broken arm. I couldn’t lift him. I couldn’t move him. They said they’ve got no water, I said, ‘Oh my god, my son is locked in his room.’ When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burned to the ground. He died with carbon monoxide poisoning rather than burning. I didn’t want any pain for my baby. I’m not going to move. That’s going to be the place, a special place for Rory and I, and we’ll make it even more beautiful than it already was.”
Shelley Sykes also took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the heartbreaking story of her son. She described Rory as a wonderful person, born on July 29, 1992, the same day as his grandmother. Together, they founded the Happy Charity. Rory, a huge fan of Apple and its CEO Tim Cook, loved playing RuneScape. Despite facing the challenges of blindness and cerebral palsy, Rory overcame many obstacles. After undergoing surgeries and therapy, he regained his sight and learned to walk. Through it all, he remained enthusiastic about travelling the world with his mother, from Africa to Antarctica.
It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heart broken. British born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine & his grandmas birthday 29 July 92, Rory Callum… pic.twitter.com/X77xyk83gx— Shelley Sykes (@shelleysykes) January 9, 2025
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) informed ABC News that they were assisting the family of an Australian man who may have been impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. However, due to privacy concerns, they refrained from disclosing further details about the matter.
