The Project’s Carrie Bickmore breaks down in tears over the tragic death of boy, 12

Carrie Bickmore and her colleagues on The Project became overcome with emotion on Wednesday as a segment aired about the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy on his family’s Queensland farm last month. 

Aspiring pianist Kyan Pennell was tragically killed after being crushed against his father Ian’s car while trying to open a gate. 

Kyan’s mother Amanda Brierley subsequently shared a Facebook post revealing she’d discovered a half-written song her son had composed in secret and was quickly inundated by musicians and orchestras offering to perform the song at his funeral.

Carrie and her co-host Rachel Corbett were reduced to tears as Peter Helliar spoke about the heartbreaking story at the desk.   

‘That’s an incredible story and obviously there is so much grief there and it’s going to carry on for a long time,’ Peter began. 

‘But the commitment to turning Kyan’s life into a celebration is really beautiful,’ he added.   

Kyan’s grieving mother appeared on Sunrise on Wednesday and spoke about the generous offers, which also led host Natalie Barr to tears.

Aspiring pianist Kyan Pennell (pictured) was tragically killed after being crushed against his father Ian’s car while trying to open a gate. 

Carrie and her co-host Rachel Corbett (right) were reduced to tears as Peter Helliar (left) spoke about the heartbreaking story at the desk

Barr and co-host David Koch were visibly moved as they spoke to Ms Brierley about these generous offers.

‘Everyone has been so willing to help and to bring a little piece of our boy to life that we could keep forever. They’ve given me something that I can never repay them for,’ Ms Brierley said. 

Kyan’s grieving mother appeared on Sunrise on Wednesday and spoke about the generous offers, which also led host Natalie Barr to tears 

‘It’s a gift of listening to Kyan, listening to what he could have done and the potential that he had.’

Ms Brierley also revealed that she had no idea Kyan – who had only been learning piano for seven months – was writing music.  

‘I’ll never know what his composition was actually meant to sound like, but what people have given us is such as special gift,’ she said. 

Visibly-overwhelmed, Barr choked up and began tearing up as she thanked Ms Brierley (pictured) for her time 

Visibly overwhelmed, Barr choked up and began tearing up as she thanked Ms Brierley for her time. 

‘We’re so sorry for your loss Amanda, it’s just such a tragic story,’ she said, her voice quivering with emotion. 

Kyan was helping his father Ian on their property in Mary Valley, 169km north of Brisbane, about midday on January 31 when he was crushed. 

Kyan (pictured), was helping his father Ian on their property in Mary Valley, 169km north of Brisbane , about midday on January 31 when he was crushed

The primary school student got out of his father’s car to open the gate at the steep property entrance on Chinaman’s Creek Road.

As Mr Pennell drove through the gate it partially closed, trapping Kyan between the car’s trailer and the gate.

Police said Mr Pennell heard a ‘bang’ and a ‘yell’ which sent him, Kyan’s little sister, his mother, and a neighbour running to help.

But sadly the young musician didn’t survive his severe injuries despite the efforts of paramedics.

On February 3 Ms Brierley shared a post to Facebook detailing how her son had been learning the piano for seven months and had seemingly half-written a classical song he had hoped to perform one day (pictured)

On February 3 Ms Brierley shared a post to Facebook detailing how her son had been learning the piano for seven months and had seemingly half-written a classical song he had hoped to perform one day.    

‘I found this. Kyan was composing his own classical (I could be wrong but I think he said ‘modern’ classical) and I never heard what he was composing,’ she said, sharing a photo of his musical score.

‘Is there anyone that can read music and play it and send it to us? If I remember rightly he told me about this and there were bits that repeated, and changed tempo, with light and shade, but he didn’t write that down. It would mean the world to us to hear his composition.’

Ms Brierley could only find the introduction to Kyan’s song and knew he was planning on introducing a ‘grand mid section’ into the piece that would be played by both wind and string instruments, but he never got to finish it.  

Ms Brierley could only find the introduction to Kyan’s song and knew he was planning on introducing a ‘grand mid section’ into the piece that would be played by both wind and string instruments, but he never got to finish it

‘Piano was his calling, he was 12, and had seven months of learning, teaching himself music theory, performance and composition, and he had committed to memory multiple classical pieces and some modern pieces… but just so he could bring a crowd in, and then educate them with the beauty of classical he would say cheekily,’ she said. 

‘He wanted to be a concert pianist and spent every waking hour on the piano he scraped and saved to buy. 

‘He was diagnosed with Asperger’s and ADHD and used that superpower to become an incredibly beautiful and unique human who just wanted to learn and excel at everything he could, about everything there was.’

Incredibly Ms Brierley received tens of videos from teenagers right across Australia playing Kyan’s song and 16 members of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra plan on recording a version to play at his funeral on Sunday. 

‘He would have been so chuffed that all these wonderful people are now playing his music,’ Ms Brierley added.

‘He did tell me that many people have to die to become famous, well my beautiful boy, here we are,’ his mother wrote

‘Little did he know he was actually composing his own funeral song.

‘He did tell me that many people have to die to become famous, well my beautiful boy, here we are.’ 

The Pennell family moved to the Gympie region two years earlier with the hope of living a quiet, country life.

Mr Pennell shared a heart-breaking tribute to his lost son in a Facebook post the day after his death.

‘As many may already know Amanda, Lauryn and I lost our beautiful, creative, quirky, smart, talented, funny, animal-loving son/brother Kyan yesterday in a freak accident,’ he wrote. 

‘Just wanted to thank everyone for their heartfelt messages of love and support.

‘Also special thanks to the amazing flight doctors, paramedics, police personal and our neighbours who fought for over an hour in an attempt to save him. His injuries were simply too great.’  

Police said Ian Pennell (top left) heard a ‘bang’ and a ‘yell’ which sent him, Kyan’s little sister (bottom left), his mother (top right), and a neighbour running to help (Kyan bottom right)