Clare's 13-year-old son was a talented child actor. He couldn't escape his bullies.

Atreyu McCann was just 13 years old when he took his own life after months of "horrific bullying".

His mother, Australian actress Clare McCann, has been left destroyed by the loss of her little boy.

"He was just the most beautiful, kind, intelligent, funny, talented little boy," she told Mamamia following the tragedy.

"I was the luckiest mum in the world to have him as my baby. We were so in love with each other. We were so close. We had such an amazing relationship that was cut short too soon."

Atreyu, like his mum, was an actor, appearing on the screen and the stage. His debut lead role was in a short film called Black Truck, which was selected as a semi-finalist at the Austin International Art Festival.

At the beginning of this year, Atreyu started high school. It was here where Clare says the bullying started.

"They would steal his bag while he was trying to eat. They would make phone calls and leave horrible messages. They would send him online comments that just made him feel small," Clare said.

"They would follow him into the bathroom and taunt him, and he'd be hiding in there."

According to the grieving mum, Atreyu confided in a teacher about the bullying, but nothing changed.

The concerned mother says she begged the school, the Department of Education, and Children's Services to intervene. She says she presented medical records, psychologist reports, and a formal PTSD diagnosis from Atreyu's doctor. But nothing worked.

"I didn't miss a beat in terms of complaints, and I spoke to the Department of Education, I spoke to the police. They wouldn't expel these [bullies], they wouldn't even suspend them," she said.

Clare says that as the bullying continued, once an outgoing and happy boy, Atreyu became a shell of his former self.

"He changed a lot towards the end, he became withdrawn. He was scared, it was so hard to reach him," Clare told Mamamia.

Clare and her son Atreyu. Image: Instagram/claremccannofficial

"He was in physical pain as well as mental. He had all of these hot water bottles, and was always asking for ibuprofen. He was really suffering. He was in so much pain, and he just really needed more time to get the treatment that he deserved."

The 13-year-old began to refuse to go to school unless the bullies were removed.

"He was just so brokenhearted that he felt like no one cared," she said.

Now, utterly broken, Clare is urging people to help her preserve her son's body.

"We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next seven days," she wrote on a GoFundMe page.

"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."

At the time of publication, the GoFundMe has raised just over $5,600 of its $300,000 goal.

"I'm just trying to help him find more time. I want the community to help me try and bring him back," Clare told us.

"I think that would mean the world to him if he came back and he just saw the world all said, 'No, we aren't gonna let this happen. We aren't gonna let him go in silence. We're gonna help bring him back and give his mum the energy to take down this system'.

She continued: "I will dedicate the rest of my time to it. I just need to find a way to see him again, to hold him again, to love him again, to help him. I just wish I knew how deeply he was feeling in that moment."

Following Atreyu's death, the Department of Education reached out to Clare to offer their condolences.

NSW Deputy Secretary of Public Schools Deborah Summerhayes said the department was "devastated to learn of the death of a student from a Sydney high school" and shared its sympathies with those affected by the tragedy.

"The Department of Education is providing counselling and other wellbeing support to students and staff who require it," she said in a statement.

It's understood the education department will continue to work with Atreyu's family and appropriate authorities to understand the circumstances of his death.

If Clare's fundraiser exceeds the goal of $300,000, the heartbroken mum said the remaining funds will be put towards anti-bullying reforms and legal action.

"I want any physical assault combined with bullying to result in immediate suspension," she said.

"Bullying will not be tolerated, and those who allowed it to take place need to be held accountable."

Feature Image: Instagram/claremccannofficial

If you or anyone you know needs to speak with an expert, please contact your GP or in Australia, contact Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636), all of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7.