Colin Farrell wants to be a mouthpiece for his son, who suffers from Angelman syndrome. The actor has now founded a foundation.
Hollywood star Colin Farrell (48) is fighting for the independence of his son James (20). The actor’s eldest child was born with the so-called Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that is associated with developmental disorders. Farrell has now founded a foundation for those affected. .
“I want the world to be kind to James,” the magazine quotes Farrell as saying, who is now speaking openly about his son’s illness for the first time. He wants to draw attention to a particular problem: James will be celebrating his 21st birthday in September – at this age, many sufferers fall out of support systems.
“When your child turns 21, they are essentially on their own,” explains Colin Farrell. “All the protections that exist, like special education, are gone. They are left with a young adult who should be an integrated part of our modern society, but in most cases is left behind.”
Colin Farrell wants to support those affected
With his newly founded Colin Farrell Foundation, the actor now wants to support those affected. The foundation is intended to provide help for young adults with intellectual disabilities. “It’s the first time I’ve spoken about it and the only reason I’m speaking is because I can’t ask James if he wants to do it,” explains Farrell. The 20-year-old is non-verbal and cannot speak himself.
“I speak to James as if he is 20 years old, has a perfect command of the English language and has cognitive abilities appropriate to his age. But I cannot see any response from him – whether he is comfortable with all this or not. So I have to make a decision based on knowing James and knowing what a young man he is and how good he is at heart,” Farrell continued.
He believes that if James knew “that we help families and other young adults with special needs,” he would say, “Dad, what are you talking about? Why are you asking me? Of course we do it.” Farrell adds, “That’s why we do it. It’s all because of James – all in his honor.”
James is the eldest of Colin Farrell’s two sons. He is the result of a relationship with US model Kim Bordenave and was born in 2003. Farrell first made his Angelman syndrome public in 2007. Farrell has another son from a relationship with Mexican actress Alicja Bachleda-Curus, who was born in 2009.
Source: Stern
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