Credit: Rory Sykes via YouTube & @shelleysykes/X
Child Star Killed In LA Wildfires
A child star has tragically died during the devastating Malibu wildfires.
The news of Rory Callum Sykes’ death was confirmed in a heartfelt statement by his mother, Dr. Shelly Sykes, on social media.
The former actor was 32 years old and faced significant challenges throughout his life, having been born blind and with cerebral palsy.
Despite these hardships, he achieved remarkable progress through surgeries and therapies that helped him regain his sight and learn to walk.
In her emotional statement, Dr. Sykes shared that her son had ‘overcome so much’ before his life was tragically cut short on January 8.
Born in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Sykes moved to Australia as a child, attending St. Mary’s Cathedral College and Sydney Distance Education High School in New South Wales.
He gained early fame as the host of the British children’s TV show Kiddy Kapers and even performed in Singing in the Rain at the Sydney Opera House.
Sykes became a philanthropist, public speaker, and online gamer in later years. Alongside his mother, he co-founded the Happy Charity in 2005, raising funds for sick children worldwide.
Following Sykes’ passing, his heartbroken mother has shared criticism regarding the local water authority, Las Virgenes Municipal Water Company, for shutting off the water supply during the crisis.
The Malibu fire swept through their Mount Malibu TV Studio estate, leaving destruction in its wake.
Dr. Sykes recounted her inability to extinguish embers on the roof of Sykes’ cottage due to the lack of water, noting that firefighters were also left without water to combat the blaze.
“I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off,” she explained.
“Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day! He will be incredibly missed.”
Dr. Sykes described the frantic moments as the fire approached their 17-acre property.
She made the difficult decision to leave Sykes alone and drive to the nearest fire station to seek help after several unsuccessful attempts to contact emergency services.
When Dr. Sykes returned with the fire department, her son’s cottage had been completely destroyed.
The Los Angeles wildfires, which began on Thursday, have claimed at least 11 lives and destroyed over 10,000 structures.
The fires have displaced over 180,000 residents, with damage estimates exceeding $100 billion.
Related Article: All The Celebrities Whose Homes Have Burned Down In Devastating Wildfires
Related Article: Man Arrested For ‘Purposely Starting Los Angeles Wildfires’
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