Latest news with #cryonics
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Time running out for actress who is fundraising to freeze her 13-year-old son's body after he took his own life
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. '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. 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. 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. '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.'
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Actress raising $195,000 to 'cryogenically preserve' 13-year-old son's body after suicide
Australian actress Clare McCann is raising money to have her son's body cryogenically frozen after he took his own life. Atreyu, 13, was subjected to relentless bullying at school and was found dead at their home in Sydney last month, McCann revealed on Saturday. Ms McCann is now asking for help raising $300,000 to have Atreyu's body preserved so he might one day be brought back to life by scientific advances. 'As my worst nightmare has come to life my child's has been stolen,' she wrote alongside a photo of her with 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.' Ms McCann explained on a GoFundMe page that there was a very small window to have her son frozen. 'We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days,' she wrote. '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, also known as cryopreservation, is the process of using extreme cold to preserve biological material, like human remains, for extended periods, with the hope of future revival. Southern Cryonics, the first cryonics facility in the Southern Hemisphere, announced it had cryogenically frozen its first person, 'Patient One', in May last year. Ms McCann said that any funds exceeding the $300,000 goal would go towards a national anti-bullying campaign, as well as legal action against 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. Ms McCann revealed the bullying began in Atreyu's first week at a NSW high school and his suffering continued for two months until he was found dead at home. 'I begged for help,' Ms 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.' Ms McCann, who is best known for her starring role in the Channel V series Blog Party, is an acclaimed journalist, filmmaker, and founder of the Sydney Women's International Film Festival. Atreyu's first day in Year 7 was February 5, according to a timeline Ms McCann has prepared to detail the bullying he experienced. Ms McCann alleges Atreyu was held underwater 'in a violent incident during a mud run' during a Year 7 camp from February 7 to 9 but no report was made to her. She further alleges Atreyu endured sexual harassment, threats and abuse throughout the camp and was not offered psychological support. Ms McCann says she was initially denied a meeting with teachers on February 13 after police advised her the matter was 'best dealt with at the school'. She says the next day she was told by a senior school figure the camp incident was 'typical peer reaction' and Atreyu received a warning. Ms McCann claims the bullying persisted with Atreyu being subjected to a racial slur during sport, and verbal taunts about his size and appearance, which relate to a congenital condition. She says in March the school was informed other students crafted a weapon to coerce Atreyu into self-harm but no action was taken. Later that month, Atreyu missed multiple days of classes 'due to stress and fear' and one day tried to call his mother in distress from school. According to Ms McCann, Atreyu had his bag stolen and faced further public abuse. Ms McCann says her son warned he would take his life on April 2 if he was forced to return to school. She claims no disciplinary action was taken after demanding the students who were bullying Atreyu being suspended or expelled. From April 6 to 10, Atreyu was afraid to go outside and on April 11 he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He eventually took his own life at home after sending a last message expressing love and an apology. The message included a red heart emoji. The NSW Department of Education said it takes allegations of bullying seriously and has strong policies in place to deal with this issue. The department and the school worked with the family to support Atreyu through his schooling. '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,' NSW Deputy Secretary Public School Deborah Summerhayes said. 'The Department of Education is providing counselling and other wellbeing support to students and staff who require it.' Ms McCann claimed on her fundraising page that she had 'begged' the Department of Education and Children's Services to intervene in Ateryu's case. '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 wrote. Ms McCann broke the heartbreaking news of her son's death on Saturday, saying that Atreyu was 'the brightest light' in her world. 'It's with shattered hearts that we share the passing of my beautiful son, Atreyu McCann,' she wrote. '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.' Atreyu followed in Ms McCann's acting footsteps, appearing in the 2019 film Benefitted, which was directed by and also starred his mother. The burgeoning actor also picked up a role in an episode of true crime series Deadly Women. He starred in the short film Black Truck, in which he played Josiah, a young boy living with a condition that causes a total lack of colour vision. The young actor was no stranger to the stage either, having appeared in numerous productions for the Australian Theatre For Young People. Atreyu was also frequently spotted with his mother on the red carpet at various film premieres.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie actress shares heartbreaking update on the death of her 13-year-old son - and asks the public for $300,000 to fund controversial plan that could see the teen brought back to life
Australian actress Clare McCann has shared a heartbreaking update following the shock death of her 13-year-old son Atreyu. Clare, who is best known for her starring role in the Channel V series Blog Party, revealed that Atreyu tragically took his own life after being the victim of 'horrendous bullying' and announced she was starting a GoFundMe campaign to 'preserve his life'. She is asking for $300,000 to have Atreyu cryogenically frozen in the hopes of one day bringing Atreyu back to life. 'As my worst nightmare has come to life my child's has been stolen,' she wrote alongside a photo of her and her son at a movie premiere. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. '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.' She explained on the GoFundMe page that there is a very small window to have her son frozen. 'We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days,' she wrote. '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.' Cryogenically freezing, also known as cryopreservation, is the process of using extreme cold to preserve biological material, like human remains, for extended periods, with the hope of future revival. Southern Cryonics, the first cryonics facility in the Southern Hemisphere, announced it had cryogenically frozen its first person dubbed 'Patient One' in May last year. Clare added that any funds exceeding the $300,000 goal would go towards a national anti-bullying campaign, as well as legal action against 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,' Clare wrote. Clare claimed on her fundraising page that she had 'begged' the Department of Education and Children's Services to intervene in Ateryu's case. '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 wrote. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the NSW Department of Education for comment. Clare broke the heartbreaking news on Saturday, saying that Atreyu was 'the brightest light' in her world. 'It's with shattered hearts that we share the passing of my beautiful son, Atreyu McCann. He was the brightest light in my world — kind, creative, and endlessly loved,' Clare wrote. 'Right now, we are grieving a loss that words can't hold. Please give us time and space as we process this unimaginable pain. Clare continued: '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.' The post, which did not indicate a cause of death was met with a heartfelt outpouring of condolences from Claire's 62,000 followers. 'Sending all my love to you right now, he was a wonderful boy, I'm so sorry for you loss. Take care of yourself,' one follower offered. Another shared a similar sentiment with: 'Omg Clare, I can't even begin to imagine the grief you're going through! 'My deepest condolences and love and may he rest in eternal peace and love.' 'I'm so sorry to hear of this. I can not at all imagine your pain,' a third shared. Aside from her role on Channel V's Astra award-winning Blog Party and Clublife, Clare has also enjoyed a career behind the camera. She was a tutor at the National Institute Of Dramatic Art (NIDA) before staring her own independent film production company Cherry Productions. Clare is a founder, program manager and ambassador for the Sydney Women's International Film festival. She is currently working as a journalist for Sydney outlet Eastern Suburbs Life. Atreyu followed in Clare's acting footsteps, appearing in the 2019 film Benefitted, which was directed by, and also starring, his mother. The burgeoning actor also picked up a role in an episode of true crime series Deadly Women. He starred in the short film Black Truck in which he played Josiah, a young boy living with a condition that causes a total lack of colour vision. The young actor was no stranger to the stage, either, having appeared in numerous productions for the Australian Theatre For Young People. Atreyu was also frequently spotted with Clare on the red carpet at various film premieres. If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via In an emergency, call 000.
