"Mom, leave me": The heartbreaking final words of a child star to her mother before tragically losing her life in a Los Angeles fire.

 Former child actor Rory Callum Sykes tragically lost his life in the Malibu wildfires, unable to evacuate due to physical disabilities.

Rory Skyes' mother said that her son was living on the family's 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studio estate when the fire reached their home

Rory Callum Sykes, a former Australian child star, tragically passed away when wildfires in Los Angeles engulfed his Malibu property. His mother, Shelley Sykes, announced the heartbreaking news on social media. Rory, 32, was best known for his role in the 1998 British TV series Kiddy Kapers. Despite living with cerebral palsy, he became a motivational speaker, inspiring many with his story.

According to reports, Rory died of carbon monoxide poisoning after his mother was unable to evacuate him due to his inability to walk.

“It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my beautiful son, Rory Sykes, to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m utterly heartbroken. He was a British-born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, and a gift born on mine and his grandma’s shared birthday, July 29, 1992,” Shelley wrote in a heartfelt tribute on X.

Shelley revealed that Rory was living on the family’s 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studio estate when the fire reached their home. She described her desperate efforts to save him, hampered by water shortages and her own injuries. “I couldn’t extinguish the cinders on his roof because the water had been switched off. Even the 50 firefighters couldn’t access water all day,” she said. Despite Rory urging her to save herself, she was reluctant to leave him behind. “He said, ‘Mom, leave me,’ but no mother can leave her child. With my broken arm, I couldn’t lift or move him,” she recounted to Australian media.

Shelley ran to seek help from firefighters, but by the time she returned, the flames had consumed their home. “He will be deeply missed by his mama, his pet peacocks Edgee and Mickie, and all his online fans around the world,” she added.

The devastating wildfires have ravaged over 30,000 acres, claimed 10 lives, and caused damages estimated at over $135 billion, potentially nearing $150 billion, according to the BBC. Scientists attribute the severity of the fires to human-induced climate change, which has disrupted weather patterns. Following two years of heavy rainfall, the dry conditions in Southern California have provided abundant fuel for the fires.

(Also read: Disney donates $15M to Los Angeles fire relief and rebuilding efforts.)