Rory Callum Sykes, a former child actor, tragically passed away at 32 in the Los Angeles wildfires.
Rory Callum Sykes died on January 8 at his family’s estate in Malibu, California, his mother, Shelley Sykes, confirmed on social media. Rory, who appeared in the 1990s British TV show Kiddy Kapers, had been living in Sydney, Australia, before recently moving to the U.S. His family’s 17-acre Malibu property was severely affected by the fires.
Shelley shared her heartbreak on X (formerly Twitter), expressing her sadness over the loss of her “wonderful son.” Rory, who was blind and had cerebral palsy, had previously overcome many challenges, including surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and learn to walk. Despite the pain, he had been excited to travel the world.
Shelley described her desperate attempt to save Rory, but the water supply was cut off, and even firefighters were unable to do much. “I couldn’t stop the flames from taking over,” she said, recalling that Rory’s cottage was burned down. She also shared that Rory died from carbon monoxide poisoning, as confirmed by the fire department.
While Rory Callum Sykes’s death has not been officially included in the L.A. wildfires’ death toll, his mother continues to grieve the loss of her son, who she says will be “incredibly missed.”
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