'I want the world to be kind to him': Colin Farrell's emotional words about his son James, who has Angelman syndrome

Colin Farrell opened the doors to his home for the first time so people could understand what it's like to live with someone with Angelman syndrome. It's not just anyone, it's his son James, 20, who suffers from this disease. 

The disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic, is "genetic and without a cure causing developmental delay, speech and balance problems, intellectual disability and, sometimes, seizures." It is easily recognizable since, the medical center explains, those with this disease "tend to smile and laugh frequently and have happy and excitable personalities."

This syndrome often requires a person to live with them and take care of them at all times. This is the case of James, who relies on a caregiver who accompanies him and helps him with simple tasks.

But the grants will soon stop coming. The young man will turn 21 in September and, from that moment, the government will stop providing him aid, as Farrell explained to People magazine:

"I want the world to be kind to James. Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own. 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."Colin Farrell

For this very reason, the actor has decided to create the Colin Farrell Foundation, an organization that will help adults with intellectual disabilities who are left without state support once they turn 21, as the actor himself explained.

"For years I wanted to do something in the realm of providing greater opportunities for families who have a child with special needs, to receive the support that they deserve, basically the assistance in all areas of life."Colin Farrell

Creating the organization has not been an easy decision as the Irish actor, as he had to do so without knowing whether it was what James would want him to do. He says he let his intuition guide him:

"This is the first time I’ve spoken about it, and obviously the only reason I’m speaking is I can’t ask James if he wants to do this."Colin Farrell.

This, the actor explained, doesn't mean he can't have a conversation with his son, since he can talk to him like he can talk to any 20-year-old. What he doesn't know is whether James would be comfortable with all this.

"I mean, I can. I speak to James as if he’s 20 and has perfect fluency with the English language and age-appropriate cognitive ability. But I can’t discern a particular answer from him as to whether he’s comfortable with all this or not, so I have to make a call based on knowing James’s spirit and what kind of young man he is and the goodness that he has in his heart," Farrell detailed.

The actor was also proud of all his son goes through on a day-to-day basis, adding that he "has worked so hard all his life, so hard," to get to where he is:

"Repetition, repetition, balance, his jerky gait. 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."Colin Farrell.

This is why, according to Farrell, James and the other young people with Angelman syndrome have "earned the right to have a greater degree of individuality and autonomy on life, and a greater degree of community."