Rory Sykes, 32, an Australian who gained media attention as a boy for sharing his experiences living with disabilities, died on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at his family’s estate in Malibu, his mother, Shelley Sykes, announced in a post on X.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday,” Shelley wrote on Thursday, Jan. 9. She added that she was “totally heartbroken” over her “wonderful son.”
There have been 11 deaths since the wild fires broke out on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and 13 people are missing. About 153,000 people have been evacuated across the Los Angeles County and more than 10,000 homes and other structures have been destroyed.
Born in the UK and blind at birth, Rory underwent surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and learn to walk, his mother shared. Despite these challenges, he became a motivational speaker and an inspiration to many.
Rory had recently relocated to the US from Sydney, Australia, and was staying in a cottage on his family’s 17-acre property when the fire struck.
“I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off ... Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day,” Shelley wrote.
LA officials have stated that a temporary drop in water pressure occurred during the firefighting efforts, exacerbated by high demand.
Rory, described as an avid gamer and philanthropist, co-founded Happy Charity with his mother to help others in need.
“He will be incredibly missed,” his mother wrote.
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