Mom Tried to Save Son with Cerebral Palsy as L.A. Fires Drew Close, Now She Shares Heartbreak at What Went Wrong

01/13/2025 02:41 PM

Rory Callum Sykes' feet had swelled up before the fires due to the high heat, making it difficult for him to walk or even put on shoes, his mom tells PEOPLE

• Rory Callum Sykes died during the wildfires in Los Angeles on Jan. 8, according to his mom, Shelley Sykes
• "He wanted to inspire people," the mom says of the former inspirational personality
• Now, she plans to have a special ceremony to honor her son and eventually open an orphanage where the family's property once stood
  

A Malibu, Calif., mom is remembering her "very inspirational" son who died during the wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area.

Rory Callum Sykes, 32, died in a cottage on his family's property after one of the fires reduced it to ashes, according to an announcement made by his mom, Shelley Sykes, on X.

The British-born man was born blind and with cerebral palsy and appeared in the media as a young boy talking about living with his disabilities. He recently relocated to the United States with his mom after living in Sydney.

Shelley, 62, tells PEOPLE she remembers her son as a "very loving, very logical but cheeky" man who had her "wrapped around his little finger." She also says her son was thoughtful and inspired her and countless others.

"He always said, 'It isn't what happens to you in life that counts. It's what you do about it that matters.' " 

Fire conditions near Mount Malibu — the 17-acre estate that Shelley built especially for her son — began ramping up around 10:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 7, according to Shelley.

Around 3 a.m., the Happy Charity founder says she and her son were told to evacuate, but the pair stayed put. 

About two hours later, the water had been turned off, and Shelley grew increasingly worried. "I kept popping my head out to see if Rory's cottage was okay," she recalls.

Rory's feet swelled up before the fires due to the high heat, making it difficult for him to walk or even put on shoes. Shelley says he told her to "leave me" in his cottage and "sort yourself out" instead.

Shelley recalls telling her son at one point, "If it gets hot Rory, darling, or you feel uncomfortable, just sit in the shower," which she said was made so a wheelchair could fit in it. "I said, 'Just sit in the shower and keep the water in.' "

Related: ER Nurse Practitioner Remembers Two-Story Flames as He Watched His Entire Neighborhood Burn in L.A.

Around 6 a.m., Shelley spotted cinders on the roof of Rory's cottage. Scared, she raced up to the cottages and tried to turn on the hose, but realized "there was no water."

Shelley banged on the door of her son's cottage, but the door was locked. So she quickly gathered what she could — including her two peacocks — and rushed about a half mile up the road.

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"I had to physically push the garage doors up. And I've recently had a broken arm, so I'm not as strong as normal," Shelley says, "but of course under pressure you do miracles, right?"

When she stopped, Shelley came across several men in uniform. "Please help me," she recounted begging them. "Please, you've got to go break down the door or take him out." 

Related: Woman Speaks Out After Amputee Father and Brother with Cerebral Palsy Died in L.A. Fires: 'Where Was Everyone?

The crew agreed, but wouldn't let her follow them back to the property, according to Shelley. After they were gone for about an hour, the crew returned with bad news.

"The chief came and said, 'We want you to come with us. We need you to identify.' Well, my heart just sank," she recalls. She later adds, "I was just holding my breath and I couldn't breathe. I was just so anxious."

When she finally arrived back at the scene, Shelley saw the three cottages on her property had burned down. She recalls seeing ash "blowing in the wind" as she looked at the space where her homes once stood, and feeling "numb."

"There was nothing," she tells PEOPLE. "There wasn't even the fridges. You couldn't see the fridge. There was nothing. There wasn't even tile."

Related: Celebrities Who Have Lost Homes in the Los Angeles Fires, and What They've Said

Rory lived a fulfilling life, according to his mom. He went to Antarctica when he was 7 years old, and was a keynote speaker for Tony Robbins when he was 8. He also considered himself the founder of Shelley's Happy Charity.

Rory also spent time talking to people around the world while playing the online role-playing game RuneScape, according to his mom. "That was his favorite thing to do," she recalls.

Shelley says Rory "loved himself" and "was super clever in lots of ways" in addition to being a "very compassionate and loving" person.

"He wanted to inspire people, that a blind boy can see, and a boy that was born with crisscross legs could run and walk and anything was possible," she tells PEOPLE.

Related: L.A. Fires Death Toll Grows to 24 as Investigators Say They're Looking at Whether Electricity Started Some Blazes

Originally, Shelley intended to leave the Mount Malibu estate to Rory, who wanted to use the land for "a happy home," another name for an orphanage.

Now, Shelley is eager to rebuild and hopes there will be a "happy home" on the property in the future. She also plans to have a special ceremony to honor her son after the rebuild.

"Hopefully this is a new start, new beginnings," she tells PEOPLE.

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.