Actress Clare McCann gives heart-wrenching interview in a plea for help to cryopreserve 13yo son’s body

Australian actress Clare McCann has given a heart-wrenching interview on the tragic circumstances surrounding her 13-year-old son’s sudden death, in a plea for help to cryogenically preserve his body within the next six days.

McCann issued a plea for urgent help to preserve her son Atreyu’s body this week, after he died on Friday after months of relentless bullying at a public school in NSW.

“It breaks my heart beyond what words can compare to share that in a moment of unbearable pain Atreyu took his own life,” she wrote in a post on social media. “This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system as he suffered horrendous amounts of bullying.

“Now I humbly beg of you to help me preserve his life and help me fight against this inhumane landslide of child suicides caused by unchecked bullying by schools and teachers.”

On Tuesday evening she shared her son’s story on 7NEWS, breaking down in tears.

Speaking to 7NEWS reporter Chris Reason from her and her son’s favourite beach walk and surf spot in Maroubra, McCann described her son as a “funny, intelligent, kind, sweet” kid, who didn’t deserve the relentless bullying she claims he endured at South Sydney High.

The Education Department claims the school tried to help, but not from McCann’s perspective, saying they did “nothing, nothing, nothing”, while wiping away tears.

“None of them were suspended, none of them were expelled. I feel completely let down,” she told Reason.

McCann’s hoping to give her son a second chance in the future by having his body cryogenically frozen.

“Maybe it might not ever happen, but if there’s a chance,” she said. “You know, he deserves this chance.”

Australia’s only cryogenics facility has agreed to try.

“We’re not certain, there are no guarantees, but there’s a reasonable probability,” cryogenics entrepreneur Peter Tsolakides told 7NEWS.

Claire told Reason the interview was her hardest moment ever on camera, but she had to do it to help fight school bullying and to rally the community support for the dreams for her son.

“I just want to be with him anyway I can,” she said.

McCann, who rose to public attention in Channel [V] shows Blog Party and Clublife, describes herself as an actress,writer,director and is an organiser of the Sydney International Women’s Film Festival.

A friend of McCann’s, Scarlett Wathen, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the $300,000 needed to cryogenically preserve Atreyu’s body. At the time of publishing it had raised $6270.

On Monday, McCann wrote that Atreyu’s body would need to be cryopreserved within the next seven days, otherwise “the opportunity for him to live again will be lost forever”.

“We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days. 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,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

She said the money would go towards immediate cryopreservation and legal transportation, medical and legal services for the procedure and a trust in his name to protect his legacy.

McCann said any money raised above her target would go towards a national campaign for anti-bullying education and reform, legal action and support for other families “impacted by systemic negligence”.

“I had begged the school, the Department of Education, and Children’s Services to intervene. 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 vowed to use her public platform to ensure what happened to her son would never happen again.

Lifeline: 13 11 14.

Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to headspace.org.au.