Angelman Syndrome: He Shares Details of Their Lives Establishing a Foundation in Memory of His Son
Angelman Syndrome
Launching a foundation, Colin Farrell provides a unique glimpse into life with his “magic” son who has Angelman syndrome.
The Colin Farrell Foundation will offer advocacy, instruction, and creative initiatives to support adult children with intellectual disabilities.
The actor is not used to the hustle and din that permeates Colin Farrell’s home.
While camera and film crews bustle around the Los Angeles hillside residence, 48-year-old Farrell is monitoring his 20-year-old son James, who suffers from the uncommon neurogenetic condition known as Angelman syndrome. James, who cannot speak, is playing catch with his live-in caregiver while they sit in the backyard. He looks over as a journalist who is standing nearby, and he tosses the little basketball in her direction to involve her in his game right away.
When James sees Farrell, his eyes light up, but that is nothing compared to the palpable swell in his father’s chest when he sees the way people around him react to his son. James deserves kindness from everyone, the actor says to PEOPLE. “I want everyone to be respectful and kind to him.”
And in the end, that’s what motivated Farrell to let his son into his home and share intimate details about their lives for the first time. James, who Farrell shares with his ex-girlfriend, model Kim Bordenave, turns 21 in September and will soon become too old to participate in many of the assistance programs meant for families with special needs children.
According to Farrell, “your child is kind of on their own once they turn 21.” “Every precaution that is taken, special education classes—all of that disappears, leaving you with a young adult who ought to be a fully integrated member of our contemporary society but is frequently left behind.”
The actor is now establishing the Colin Farrell Foundation to help close that gap by offering advocacy, instruction, and creative programming to adult children with intellectual disabilities. “I’ve never talked about it before, and the only reason I’m talking is because I can’t ask James if he wants to do this,” he states.
“Well, I can. I talk to James as though he’s twenty years old, with age-appropriate cognitive abilities and flawless English language fluency. However, I’m unable to get a clear response from him regarding how comfortable he is with everything, so I have to make a decision based on my understanding of James’s character, the kind of young man he is, and the kindness that is in his heart.
At the end of his first feeding session, his face resembles that of a Jackson Pollock. However, he succeeds in feeding himself admirably. Every day, I feel proud of him because I believe he is magical.”
James has “earned the right to have a greater degree of community, and a greater degree of individuality and autonomy on life” along with others who are similar to him.
For the time being, the actor makes the decision to think “that James would say, ‘Dad, what are you talking about?’ if he knew that taking his picture in the back garden with me, which is not my favorite thing to do, could help families and other young adults . It’s obvious,'” continues Farrell. “For that reason, we’re proceeding. All of this is owed to James; it is done in his honor.
In addition to establishing a charity in memory of his son James, Colin Farrell is providing a unique window into their shared lives.
The actor raved in his People cover story, which was released on Wednesday, about his “magic” 21-year-old, who has Angelman syndrome.
He said to the magazine, “I want the world to be kind to James.” “I want everyone to be respectful and kind to him.”
In addition to establishing a charity in memory of his son James, Colin Farrell is providing a unique window into their shared lives.
The actor raved in his People cover story, which was released on Wednesday, about his “magic” 21-year-old, who has Angelman syndrome.
He said to the magazine, “I want the world to be kind to James.” “I want everyone to be respectful and kind to him.”
