Rory Sykes, a former child star best known for his role in the 1990s British television show Kiddy Kapers, has tragically died in the Los Angeles wildfires.
Sykes, who lived with cerebral palsy, passed away at the age of 32 on Wednesday in a devastating fire that swept through Malibu.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday,” his mother, Shelley Sykes, wrote on social media. “I’m totally heart broken.”
Shelley, who was also a host on Kiddy Kapers, revealed that Rory died in his cottage on their family’s 17-acre Malibu estate.
She explained that she was unable to extinguish the flames on his roof because water services had been cut off by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.
Speaking to Australia’s 10 News First, Shelley described the heartbreaking moments leading up to her son’s death. With her arm broken and Rory unable to walk due to his condition, she struggled to help him escape the fire. “He said, ‘Mom, leave me,’” she recounted tearfully. “No mom can leave their kid.”
Shelley rushed to a nearby firehouse for assistance after 911 proved unreachable, but when she returned with help, it was too late. Firefighters told her that Rory had succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Born in Britain, Rory later moved to Australia before settling in America. Described by his mother as a “wonderful son,”
Rory overcame significant challenges, including surgeries and therapies to restore his sight and improve his mobility. Shelley shared her pride in his resilience and adventurous spirit: “Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”
By the age of eight, Rory had become an inspirational speaker and founded Happy Charity to assist those in need. His mother stated that he would be “incredibly missed.”
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