Mum of Brit ex-child actor who died in LA fires shares his heartbreaking last words

Devastated mother Shelley Sykes has shared an emotional tribute to her beloved son, Rory Callum Sykes, who tragically lost his life in the ongoing wildfires that are ravaging California. Rory, 32, passed away on Thursday when the cottage he lived in, situated on his mother’s Malibu estate, was consumed by flames.

Born in the UK, Rory had been blind and had cerebral palsy. As a child, he appeared in the 1988 British TV show Kiddy Kapers and later became an avid fan of Apple products and the online game RuneScape. Shelley recalled how her son’s final words were “Mum, leave me,” before his tragic death. She shared the heartache of not being able to save him due to her broken arm, which left her unable to lift him or move him out of danger. “No mum can leave their kid,” Shelley said, adding that the emergency services couldn’t be reached because phone lines were down, and 911 was unreachable.

Shelley also believes that Rory died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the fire. After rushing to a nearby fire station, she was told they had no water. When firefighters finally returned her to the scene, his cottage had been reduced to ashes.

Rory, who was born in July 1992, was an outspoken advocate for those with disabilities and co-founded the Happy Charity with his mother. The charity's mission is to bring "Hope, Happiness, and Health to those that are Hurting."

In an emotional post on social media platform X, Shelley wrote, “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son Rory Sykes in the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heartbroken.” She described Rory as a “wonderful son” and a true humanitarian, who was a massive fan of Apple and RuneScape. Shelley also shared that Rory would be “incredibly missed” by his family, his fans, and his two pet peacocks, Edgee and Mickie.

As wildfires continue to devastate the Los Angeles area, firefighters are battling to control the flames that have destroyed thousands of homes and claimed at least 16 lives. Forecasters have issued red flag warnings for the coming week, with dangerous weather conditions and high winds expected to intensify the fires, particularly on Tuesday.