An Australian actress is racing against time to raise funds to have her 13-year-old son’s body cryogenically preserved after he took his own life last month following what she says was relentless bullying at school.
Clare McCann described her son Atreyu as ‘the brightest light’ in her world.
He died at their Sydney home after enduring two months of abuse, harassment and threats from fellow students beginning in his first week of high school.
Clare, known for her work on the Australian series Blog Party and as the founder of the Sydney Women’s International Film Festival, is now urgently appealing for $300,000 (£143,000) to have her son’s body frozen in the hopes that scientific advances may one day bring him back.
‘As my worst nightmare has come to life, my child’s has been stolen,’ she wrote in a heartfelt post, alongside a photo of her and Atreyu at a movie premiere.
‘It breaks my heart beyond what words can compare to share that, in a moment of unbearable pain, Atreyu took his own life.
‘This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system as he suffered horrendous amounts of bullying.’
McCann explained on her GoFundMe page that time is of the essence. There is now less than 48 hours left to cryogenically preserve Atreyu’s body.
Australian actress Clare McCann says she begged for help from authorities before her 13-year-old son Atreyu (pictured above) took his own life after relentless bullying at school
‘We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next seven days,’ she wrote last week.
‘If we miss this window, we lose the chance for any future revival that science may offer. This is about hope and justice. Refusing to let my son’s story end in silence.’
Cryogenic freezing, or cryopreservation, involves preserving human remains at ultra-low temperatures in the hope they might one day be revived.
Australia’s first cryonics facility, Southern Cryonics, made headlines last year when it announced the successful preservation of its first client, referred to as ‘Patient One.’
Any donations above the $300,000 goal, McCann said, will go towards launching a national anti-bullying campaign and pursuing legal action against what she described as the ‘institutions that failed him.’
‘I am a public figure with a national platform, and I will use every resource I have to make sure this never happens again, not just to my son, but to any other child failed by this system,’ she said.
McCann said the torment began just days after Atreyu’s first day at a NSW high school on February 5.
According to a detailed timeline she has shared, Atreyu was allegedly held underwater during a ‘violent incident’ on a Year 7 camp from February 7 to 9 – a serious allegation she says was never formally reported to her.
McCann alleges Atreyu was held underwater ‘in a violent incident during a mud run’ during a Year 7 in February but no report was made to her
She claims he was also subjected to sexual harassment and ongoing verbal abuse during the camp, with no psychological support provided.
By mid-February, she says her request for a meeting with teachers was denied after police told her the matter should be handled within the school.
The following day, she says a senior school official dismissed the camp incident as ‘typical peer reaction’ and Atreyu was issued a warning.
The bullying escalated, she alleges, with Atreyu enduring a racial slur during a school sport session and verbal taunts related to his appearance and a congenital condition.
In March, she says the school was informed that other students crafted a weapon to coerce her son into self-harm but, again, no action was taken.
Atreyu reportedly began missing school due to ‘stress and fear,’ and one day phoned his mother in distress. His backpack was allegedly stolen and he faced further public humiliation.
McCann says her son warned on April 2 that he would take his life if he was forced to return to school.
Despite her pleas for disciplinary action against the bullies, she claims no suspensions or expulsions followed.
McCann revealed the bullying began in Atreyu’s first week at a Sydney high school and his suffering continued for months until he was found dead at home (Pictured: Mother and son)
From April 6 to 10, she says he was too afraid to leave the house. On April 11, he was diagnosed with PTSD.
He ended his life soon after, leaving behind a final message filled with love and an apology, ending with a red heart emoji.
‘I begged for help,’ McCann wrote. ‘I submitted complaints. I shared medical records. No one listened.
‘He was just 13. He deserved a future. If the school and government had acted when I asked, he might still be alive.’
The NSW Department of Education said it takes all allegations of bullying seriously and stated it had policies in place to address such issues.
‘We are devastated to learn of the death of a student from a Sydney high school and extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and community members,’ said NSW Deputy Secretary Public School Deborah Summerhayes.
McCann, however, said her calls for intervention were ignored.
‘I have medical records, psychologist reports, a formal PTSD diagnosis from his doctor, and emails proving I raised the alarm repeatedly.
McCann, who is best known for her starring role in the Channel V series Blog Party, announced she was starting a GoFundMe campaign to have her son cryogenically preserved
‘But nothing was done. No one stepped in. And now, my beautiful boy is gone,’ she wrote.
Atreyu was following in his mother’s footsteps, having appeared in the 2019 film Benefitted, directed by McCann, as well as an episode of Deadly Women and the short film Black Truck, where he played a boy living with total colour blindness.
He also performed in stage productions with the Australian Theatre for Young People and was a frequent presence on red carpets alongside his mother.
‘It’s with shattered hearts that we share the passing of my beautiful son, Atreyu McCann,’ his mother shared on Saturday.
‘He was the brightest light in my world – kind, creative, and endlessly loved.
‘Right now, we are grieving a loss that words can’t hold. Please give us time and space as we process this unimaginable pain.
‘Thank you to everyone who has supported and loved Atreyu. We’ll share more when we’re ready. For now, please hold him in your hearts.’
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.