Australian actress Clare McCann has laid her 13-year-old son, Atreyu, to rest after a heartbreaking effort to raise funds for cryonic preservation fell short.
McCann, known for her roles on Channel [V] shows Blog Party and Clublife, publicly shared her grief last month after her son died by suicide following what she described as “months of relentless bullying.”
In the days following his death, Clare launched a desperate GoFundMe campaign to raise $300,000 AUD (approximately $170,000 USD) within a seven-day window. Her hope was to preserve Atreyu through cryonics, the controversial practice of freezing a deceased person with the aim of reviving them in the future.
“We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days,” she originally wrote on the online fundraising page. “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.”
But despite her urgent plea, the funds were not raised in time.
This week, Clare was forced to say a final goodbye.
On Monday, a funeral service for Atreyu was held at Mary Immaculate Church in Waverley, Sydney. Loved ones gathered to honor the boy she described as her “best mate”, a name he shared with the hero from The NeverEnding Story.
The service included touching videos of Atreyu riding horses, skateboarding, and spending time with animals he adored. His white coffin, adorned with sunflowers, stood as a bright tribute to his young life.
Speaking through tears, Clare addressed mourners with a eulogy that blended love, regret, and a mother’s unwavering pride.
“You saved me from the nothingness,” she said, per News.com.au. “You brought my life indescribable joy when I had none… You were the most intelligent, funniest person I have ever known.”
She described how Atreyu had once looked forward to starting high school, before being worn down by bullying. “I’m sorry if I failed you,” she said. “I’m sorry if I loved you too much and made you too gentle.”
Clare ended her tribute with a promise: to dedicate her life to fighting bullying and to ensure her son’s story lives on. “Now the world knows his name, his story, and his message.”
Her GoFundMe is now dedicated to helping to memorialize her son, as she writes: "Donations will go towards his final resting place and a funeral," before adding that exceding funds will go towards a trust in her son's name, a national campaign for anti-bullying education and reform, legal action against the institutions "that failed him", and support for other families "impacted by systemic negligence".
"I have used every resource to share his story so that this never happens again, not just to my son, but to any other child failed by this system," the grieving mom adds.
Please help us memorialise our beloved Atreyu and give his life the dignity and future that his school stole from him. Share this campaign. Tell his story. And stand with us.
Following Atreyu’s passing, Clare initially shared the devastating news on social media, writing: “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… Please give us time and space as we process this unimaginable pain.”
In a previous public statement, the mom said of her son: “This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system as he suffered horrendous amounts of bullying."
Per 7News, representatives for the Education Department of South Sydney High School said in a statement: “We acknowledge the profound grief of Atreyu’s family and friends and extend our deepest sympathies to them all. To support our community, we have had counselling on site and will continue to support students and staff as long as is needed."
As Clare continues to grieve, her resolve to turn personal tragedy into a mission of advocacy is clear; a mother’s final promise to the boy she’ll always call her greatest joy.
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