Colin Farrell is hoping to give back to families like his. Farrell’s 20-year-old son James has Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder. Diagnosed as a child, James is nonverbal and receives live-in care, according to Farrell, who opened up for the first time in depth about his son’s condition in a new interview with People magazine.
“I want the world to be kind to James,” the actor told People magazine. “I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.” Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories The “Sugar” actor has launched the Colin Farrell Foundation to provide support for families who have adult children living with intellectual disabilities, particularly as those individuals age out of the support systems for those with special needs.
“Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own,” Farrell said. “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.” Farrell shares his son with his ex, model Kim Bordenave.
The new foundation aims to help other families like theirs through advocacy, education and innovative programs. It’s new territory for the actor who is known to keep his private life just that, but he views it as a worthwhile endeavor. He said he believes that if his son could communicate verbally about their new publi.