Australian actress and filmmaker Clare McCann has revealed the heartbreaking loss of her 13-year-old son, Atreyu, who tragically took his own life after enduring months of relentless bullying at school.

In a raw Instagram post, she wrote: “As my worst nightmare has come to life, my child’s has been stolen.” She described Atreyu as “the brightest light in my world — kind, creative, and endlessly loved.”

Clare has since launched a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise USD 195,000 (approximately AUD 300,000) to cryogenically preserve Atreyu’s body within seven days, cover legal and medical bills, and establish a trust in his name. Funds raised beyond that will support anti-bullying reform and assist other families who have suffered similar losses.

“Atreyu had just started Year 7 at a NSW public school when, within two days, he came home in tears, begging me to help stop the abuse,” Clare explained. What followed were months of physical attacks, emotional cruelty, and even an incident on a school camp where classmates allegedly attempted to drown him.

Despite at least ten reports to the school and the Department of Education, Clare claims no meaningful intervention occurred. “They just destroyed him,” she said, “And in a moment of immense pain, he just did something, because I think he didn’t know what else to do.”

In April, after Atreyu revealed suicidal thoughts directly to his mother, Clare withdrew him from school and sought professional help. For a brief time there was hope.

But the damage, she says, had already taken its toll.