Colin Farrell’s 20-year-old son James has a rare neurogenetic disorder called Angelman syndrome, which led the actor to start his own foundation.
Farrell is a superhero.
The Irish actor held back tears while giving insight into his life with his 20-year-old son, James, and opening up about the Colin Farrell Foundation, which aims to provide support for adult children with intellectual disabilities. Farrell created the foundation in honor of James, whom he shares with his ex, Kim Bordenave.
James was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder that causes delayed development and problems with movement, balance and speech, per the Mayo Clinic.
“I want the world to be kind to James,” Farrell told People in the interview published on Wednesday. “I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.”
Taking a moment to gush over his son, the 48-year-old shared that James “has worked so hard all his life, so hard.”
“Repetition, repetition, balance, his jerky gait,” Farrell reflected. “When he started feeding himself for the first time, his face looks like a Jackson Pollock by the end of it. But he gets it in, he feeds himself beautifully. I’m proud of him every day, because I just think he’s magic.”
James turns 21 in September, which was a driving force behind the “Miss Julie” star’s decision to take matters into his own hands.
“Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own,” Farrell explained. “All the safeguards that are put in place, special ed classes, that all goes away, so you’re left with a young adult who should be an integrated part of our modern society and more often than not is left behind.
