Former child actor Rory Callum Sykes died on Wednesday, January 8, a victim of the Palisades Fire, according to his mother Shelley Sykes. He was 32 years old.
Rory, an Australian actor who was born blind and has cerebral palsy, starred in the British television show “Kiddy capers.” In addition to his work in front of the camera, Rory has also worked as a motivational speaker and helped form the Happy Charity organization with his mother.
Sykes tried to evacuate their Malibu home when… Palisades fire The fire caught fire, but had difficulty restoring emergency services due to limited resources, including power.
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Former child star Rory Callum Sykes has died at the age of 32. (X/Shelley Sykes)
“He was my child, and he died needlessly,” Sykes said. Australia 10 News First.
Sykes said her son was living in a guest house on the family's 17-acre Malibu Canyon property. As the Palisades Fire encroached upon the community, she had no form of communication with the outside world.
“Guess what didn't work? 911 — all the phone lines were down,” she said. “He said, 'Mom, leave me. No mother can leave her child. I broke my arm, and I couldn't lift him, and I couldn't move him.'
In an attempt to evacuate, she drove to the local fire station for help, but was told “they had no water.”
“I said, 'Oh my God, my son is locked in his room,'” Sykes recalled. “When the fire department brought me back, his shack had burned to the ground.”
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British-born Sykes moved to Australia as a child. and wrote a book, “Callum's treatment” Which shows his determination not only to one day walk, but to see as well.
Firefighters watch water fall on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Saturday, January 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Jay Si Hong/AP Photo)
“He died of carbon monoxide poisoning rather than burning,” Sykes said firefighters told her. “I didn't want any pain for my baby.”
Sykes is considering a class action lawsuit and is staying put for now.
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“I won't move,” Sykes said. “This will be the place, a special place for me and Rory, and we'll make it even more beautiful than it already was.”
An air tanker made a landing on the Palisades Fire. (Brian van der Brug/Getty Images)
A house caught fire during the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area on January 8, 2025. (Josh Edelson/Getty Images)
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported Sunday Palisades fire It has burned 23,713 acres and is now 11% contained. Five deaths have been reported since the fire broke out on Tuesday, January 7.
Less than 30 miles away, the Eaton Fire, which also broke out Jan. 7 in Altadena, has burned 14,117 acres and is now 27% burnt. Eleven deaths have been confirmed.
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