An actress who was racing to raise $300,000 (£143,000) in a week to cryogenically preserve her son has been forced to hold his funeral.
Last month Australian actress Clare McCann begged for help following the death of her son Atreyu, who died aged 13.
Best known for appearing in the Channel [V] shows Blog Party and Clublife, Clare shared that her son had died by suicide after ‘months of relentless bullying’.
Soon after she asked for support to ‘help me preserve his life’ and shared a link to a fundraiser, explaining she wanted to ‘allow him to live again’ with cryonics – the practice of freezing an individual who has died with the aim of reviving them sometime in the future.
But with a seven-day window in which to achieve her aim, Clare said she was fighting against the clock to drum up enough support.
However, a few weeks on, she’s now been forced to hold her son’s funeral after not raising the money in time.
On Monday, Atreyu’s funeral was held in Sydney, with loved ones given their chance to say their final goodbyes.
During the service, held at Mary Immaculate Church in Waverley, videos were shown of him riding a horse, skateboarding and cuddling his favourite animals.
Standing in front of her son’s coffin, which was covered in sunflowers, Clare spoke to the congregation about her ‘best mate’, who she named after the hero in The NeverEnding Story.
News.com.au reported her speaking about her son being ‘looking so forward’ to starting high school until bullies ‘dimmed his light’.
‘Atreyu you saved me from the nothingness, you brought my life indescribable joy when I had none,’ she said.
‘As you grew I revelled in your beauty. I always felt so blessed to have such a beautiful and wonderful boy. You were and will always be my best mate.
‘You were the most intelligent, funniest person I have ever known.’
She then went on to vow to make him proud and dedicate her life to campaigning against bullying.
‘I’m sorry if I failed you. I’m sorry if I loved you too much and made you too gentle,’ she said through tears.
‘Now the world knows his name, his story and his message,’ she added.
When first announcing the death of her son, Clare posted on social media: ‘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.
‘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.’
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.
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