CNN
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A former child star from Australia died when the Los Angeles wildfires devastated his family’s Malibu estate in California earlier this week, according to his mother.

Rory Callum Sykes was at the family’s 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studios estate, where he had his own cottage, when it burned down on Jan. 8, his mother, Shelley Sykes, wrote on X on Thursday.

Shelley Sykes described her son, who appeared in the 1998 British TV series Kiddy Kapers, as “beautiful” and “wonderful” and said his death had left her “completely heartbroken”.

She said she tried to put out the ashes of a forest fire on the roof of her property with a hose, but was unable to do so because the water wasn’t working.

“He said, ‘Mom, leave me,’ and no mother can leave her child. And I have a broken arm, I couldn’t lift it, I couldn’t move it,” Sykes told Australia’s 10 News First.

Her 32-year-old son, born blind and with cerebral palsy on July 29, 1992, had become famous for his speeches about overcoming disabilities. He co-founded Happy Charity, which, according to its website, “provides hope, happiness and health to those in need.”

“Through many operations and therapies, he regained his sight and was able to learn to walk. Despite the pain, he was still excited about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica,” wrote Shelley Sykes on X.

She said her son was born in Britain but lived in Australia and then America. He was “a gift given to me and his grandmother for our birthday,” she wrote.

On his website, Sykes describes himself as a professional speaker and consultant for many companies, including the Tony Robbins Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

During an appearance with his mother on the Australian television show Mornings with Kerri-Anne in 2003, he discussed traveling to the United States to speak at a Tony Robbins motivational conference.

“It doesn’t matter what happens to you in life, it matters what you do about it,” he told viewers.

A spokesman for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told CNN affiliate 9News Australia it was aware of the death of an Australian citizen and was “working closely with local authorities” to assist his family.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to his family. Our thoughts are with them,” DFAT told 9News. “Due to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment.”

CNN has contacted DFAT.