After months of unrelenting bullying at school, the 13-year-old son of Australian actress Clare McCann took his own life.
At a heartfelt ceremony held Monday at Waverley’s Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Atreyu McCann was recalled as a creative and kind person.
As video of Atreyu performing, singing, and proudly standing next to his mother at red carpet events rolled, friends and relatives crowded the church to watch in quiet.
Atreyu had artistic ambitions, just like his mother, a celebrated journalist, director, and actor who starred in the Channel V series Blog Party.
He starred in the US documentary series Deadly Women and Benefited, which his mother wrote and directed, and received two drama prizes during his brief career.
As Ms. McCann walked up to the pulpit, friends and family wiped away their tears. She took a long, tremulous breath before telling them about her lost “best friend.”
“You were the most intelligent, funniest and talented person I’ve ever known,” she said as her voice struggled to contain her emotion.
“When you were little, you told me you came to my window when I was little [and] you picked me as your mummy and then you said you would leave me one day.”
“That you would always love me. I will always love you, I will always miss you, and I will fight for your justice and I will make you proud.”
After two months of being harassed, abused, and threatened by classmates starting in his first week of high school, Atreyu passed away in their Sydney home, she said.
“They tried to dim his light,” the family said. One often told him, “You’re not him,” any time he tried to speak and be funny.
“He became withdrawn and moody and refused to return to school.”
The mourners wept as Ms. McCann looked down at her son’s coffin filled with flowers and made a sincere apology.
“I’m sorry if I failed you. I’m sorry if I loved you too much, made you too gentle,” she said.
After leading the congregation in prayer, parish priest Father Bernie Thomas went up to Ms. McCann and told her she had nothing to apologise for.
Father Thomas recalled Atreyu as a kind, pious person whose TikTok profile read, “God First.”
Ms. McCann led her son’s casket out into the bright, late-morning light to the symphony of bagpipes just as she had entered the church.
As his casket was lifted into the hearse once more in front of a framed picture of her kid with unusually short hair, friends and family looked on.
As she shared her final, emotional words in private, she kissed his picture repeatedly.
In the hopes that one day scientific advancements will allow Atreyu to return, Ms. McCann tried to raise the $300,000 required to cryogenically preserve his remains after his passing.
She was going to miss her deadline of seven days to raise the funds. She now hopes that her son’s legacy will shield children from bullying.
“I will miss our walks, I will miss dancing with you. I will miss watching our favourite shows. I will miss your funny noises, I will miss our cuddles at night time.”
“And I will forever mourn not being able to watch you learn and become a father – but you will become a father to all of the children that are saved in your name.”
“You are my life’s love.”
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