[A former child star from Australia has died in a Los Angeles wildfire. Rory Callum Sykes, 32, was staying at his family’s Malibu estate, known as Mount Malibu TV Studios, when it burned down on January 8. His mother, Shelley Sykes, said she had tried to put out the cinders on the property’s roof using a hose but couldn’t because the water wasn’t working. She had attempted to save her son but was unable to do so.
Rory Sykes was born blind with cerebral palsy in 1992, but despite the challenges, he went on to become famous for his motivational speeches on overcoming disability. He co-founded a charity called Happy Charity, which provides support to people in need.
Sykes’ mother described her son as “beautiful” and “wonderful”, saying she is “totally heartbroken” by his death. She told an Australian TV channel that she and her son were on a rooftop when the wildfire spread and her son said, “Mom leave me”, before she was unable to lift him.
Sykes had become well-known for his appearances on Australian and international television shows, as well as for his work with the Tony Robbins Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. He believed that “it doesn’t matter what happens to you in life, it’s what you do about it that counts”.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the death and is providing consular assistance to his family. The family is from Australia, where Rory Sykes had lived and was born before moving to America.
Source link
