Rory Callum Sykes' mom recalled her plea to fire crews to rescue him before he died in the LA wildfires.
The British-born Australian man was born blind and had cerebral palsy. He shot to fame as a youngster when he starred in the TV show Kiddy Kapers in 1998.
Despite doctors believing he would spend his life in a wheelchair, Rory defied the odds and learned how to walk, run and see - with his mother, Shelley Sykes, calling him her 'miracle on legs' in her 2003 parenting book, Callum's Cure.
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Tragically, the 32-year-old died in his self-contained cottage on his mom's 17-acre estate near Mount Malibu as the Los Angeles fires tore through his neighborhood on January 8.
Shelley confirmed the death of her son on Twitter on Thursday (January 9), describing him as 'beautiful' and a 'true humanitarian', while adding she is 'totally heartbroken' by the loss.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the 62-year-old said that they were advised to evacuate at around 3am but decided to stay where they were.
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During that time, Rory's feet had become swollen from the high heat, making it hard for him to walk or put his shoes on, so he told his mother to 'leave him'.
Shelley said she had difficulties attempting to move him because of her broken arm, telling the Australian news outlet, 10 News First: "I've got a broken arm. I couldn't lift him. I couldn't move him."
So she told him to just 'sit in the shower' and keep the water on to ease his discomfort, adding: "I said, 'Just sit in the shower and keep the water in'."
Shelley kept 'popping her head out to see if Rory's cottage was okay' when at 6am, she spotted cinders on the roof and tried to turn on the hose when she realized that 'there was no water'.
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She banged on his door but found it was locked. Shelley then attempted to contact the emergency services, however, all the lines 'were down', she told 10 First.
"I had to physically push the garage doors up. And I've recently had a broken arm, so I'm not as strong as normal." she added. "But of course under pressure you do miracles, right?"
She quickly gathered some belongings and raced 400 meters through the smoke to her nearest fire station, and when she came across some men in uniform, she recalled begging them for help.
"Please help me." she told PEOPLE. "Please, you've got to go break down the door or take him out."
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The emergency services agreed, however, they wouldn't allow her to come with them initially, leaving her with an anxious-long wait before they returned an hour later.
Shelley said: "The chief came and said, 'We want you to come with us. We need you to identify.' Well, my heart just sank."
When she returned home, she saw three cottages on the property had burned down and felt 'numb' as she watched the ashes 'blowing in the wind'.
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"There was nothing." she said. "There wasn't even the fridges. You couldn't see the fridge. There was nothing. There wasn't even tile."
According to Shelley, Rory passed away as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, however, this hasn't been officially confirmed until his remains are located by cadaver dogs, news.com.au reports.
Talking about her son, she said he was a 'very compassionate and loving' person whose 'favorite thing to do' was talking to people while playing the online game Runescape.
"He wanted to inspire people, that a blind boy can see, and a boy that was born with crisscross legs could run and walk and anything was possible." she said.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Topics: Wildfires, Los Angeles, California, Film and TV, Parenting, Twitter, Property, US News
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