13-Year-Old Boy Tragically Takes His Life, His Famous Mom Reveals Why He Did It

Australian performer Clare McCann, known for her role on the Channel V cult series Blog Party, is facing a parent’s worst nightmare. Her 13-year-old son, Atreyu, died by suicide on May 23 after enduring months of severe bullying at a New South Wales public school. Now, McCann is speaking out and taking extraordinary steps to ensure his story does not end in silence.

In a highly publicized move, she has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $300,000 to cryonically preserve Atreyu’s body. McCann says the procedure must begin within days for there to be any chance of revival in the future as science advances. While some critics see the idea as extreme, McCann calls it an act of hope and defiance: “This is not about science alone. It is about hope and justice — and refusing to allow my child’s life to be erased in silence,” she wrote.

McCann claims she repeatedly warned teachers, administrators, the Education Department, and Child Services about the bullying. She says she has documentation—including psychologist assessments, a PTSD diagnosis, emails, and paper trails—demonstrating that her pleas for help were ignored. “I begged the school to intervene. Nothing was done. Nobody stepped in. And now my son is gone,” she said.

Describing Atreyu as gentle, artistic, and deeply cherished, McCann said his bright future was taken by a system that looked away. Cryonics, which involves storing a body at extremely low temperatures immediately after legal death, remains controversial and unproven. For McCann, however, even a slim chance is preferable to accepting finality. Funds raised would cover preservation, transportation, and legal steps, with any surplus directed to lawsuits, anti-bullying campaigns, and support for other families facing similar tragedies.

In heartfelt posts, McCann mourned: “With broken hearts, we share that our beloved Atreyu is gone. He was the brightest light — kind, creative, and loved beyond words.”

Through her grief and advocacy, McCann is turning personal tragedy into a public reckoning, demanding accountability from schools and agencies when they fail to protect children. Her plea is both a tribute to her son and a call to action against the epidemic of bullying-related child suicides.