Aussie actress' desperate move after son, 13, takes own life
Australian actress Clare McCann has revealed the tragic circumstances surrounding her 13-year-old son's sudden death — and issued a plea for urgent help to preserve his body.
McCann says her 'worst nightmare' was realised when Atreyu died on Friday after months of relentless bullying at NSW public school.
'It breaks my heart beyond what words can compare to share that in a moment of unbearable pain Atreyu took his own life,' she wrote in a post on social media.
'This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system as he suffered horrendous amounts of bullying.
'Now I humbly beg of you to help me preserve his life and help me fight against this inhumane landslide of child suicides caused by unchecked bullying by schools and teachers.' Clare McCann with her son Artreyu. She says he was relentlessly bullied at a NSW public school. Credit: Instagram
McCann, who rose to public attention in Channel [V] shows Blog Party and Clublife, describes herself as an actress/writer/director and is an organiser of the Sydney International Women's Film Festival.
A friend of McCann's, Scarlett Wathen, has now launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $300,000 to cryopreserve Atreyu's body.
At the time of publishing it had raised just under $3000.
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McCann wrote that Atreyu's body would need to be cryopreserved within the next seven days, otherwise 'the opportunity for him to live again will be lost forever'.
'We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days. 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,' she wrote on the GoFundMe page.
She said the money would go towards immediate cryopreservation and legal transportation, medical and legal services for the procedure and a trust in his name to protect his legacy. Clare McCann with her son Artreyu at the Sydney Women's International Film Festival. Credit: Instagram
McCann said any money raised above her target would go towards a national campaign for anti-bullying education and reform, legal action and support for other families 'impacted by systemic negligence'.
'I had begged the school, the Department of Education, and Children's Services to intervene. I have medical records, psychologist reports, a formal PTSD diagnosis from his doctor, and emails proving I raised the alarm repeatedly. But nothing was done. No one stepped in. And now, my beautiful boy is gone.'
She vowed to use her public platform to ensure what happened to her son would never happen again.
Lifeline: 13 11 14.
Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to headspace.org.au.
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