An Australian actress is asking for help to raise $300,000 (£143,000) to ‘cryogenically preserve’ her teenage son after he took his own life.
Clare McCann has begged for support following the death of her son Atreyu, who died last week aged 13.
Best known for appearing in the Channel [V] shows Blog Party and Clublife, Clare is also a regular on Sydney’s social circuit and would bring her son with her to red carpet premieres.
They also appeared together in the 2019 independent film Benefited, which she wrote, directed and starred in.
However, this week Clare announced the heartbreaking news that her son had died by suicide after ‘months of relentless bullying’.
‘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,’ she wrote.
‘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.’
The actress later went on to share another post ‘humbly begging’ people to ‘help me preserve his life’.
Clare explained that ‘about six or seven years ago’ she spoke to her son about ‘the afterlife, heaven and cryogenics’, which he said he’d ‘like to do’.
‘Over the years we talked about that that’s what we would want to do together, never separate. He deserves a second chance to live the life he wanted,’ she continued.
The actress has since shared links to an online fundraiser she’s set up on GoFundMe to ‘allow him to live again’.
The fundraiser, titled Help Preserve My Son After Bullying Tragedy, explains how Clare is ‘urgently’ trying to raise the money within a week or ‘the opportunity for him to live again will be lost forever’.
What is cryonics?
Cryonics is the practice of freezing an individual who has died with the aim of reviving them sometime in the future.
The process can only be performed only after an individual has been declared legally dead and involves the body being packed in ice and shipped to a cryonics facility.
After blood is drained from the body and is replaced with antifreeze and organ-preserving compounds known, the body is placed in a chamber filled with liquid nitrogen, where it will theoretically stay preserved at -196 °C until scientists are able to find a way to resuscitate the body in the future.
Cryonic preservation can hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In 2023, around 500 people were cryonically preserved, the majority of them in the United States. Dozens of pets had also been preserved.
‘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 said.
Clare went on to explain how the money would be spent on the process, as well as a trust in her son’s name and a ‘national campaign for anti-bullying education and reform’.
‘I am a public figure with a national platform, and I will use every resource I have to make sure this never happens again, not just to my son, but to any other child failed by this system,’ she continued.
‘Please help us preserve 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. We only have 7 days. Please act now.’
The fundraiser has currently raised $3895 (£1869).
The first cryonics facility opened in Australia last year, with the first person to be ‘frozen’ at its facility with the hopes of one day being revived being a man in his 80s.
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.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.