As he shares details of their life, Colin Farrell establishes a foundation in memory of his 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.
