The Colin Farrell Foundation will support adult children with intellectual disabilities through advocacy, education, and innovative programs.
Colin Farrell has been a leading man in blockbusters and independent films since the 2000s. He has received various awards and nominations, including two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award nomination.
His son James, 20, has Angelman syndrome. Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neuro-genetic disorder that occurs in one in 15,000 live births or 500,000 people worldwide.
“I want the world to be kind to James,” the actor says, opening up about his son for the first time. I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.”
And in the end, that motivated Farrell to let his son into his home and share intimate details about their lives for the first time. James, who turns 21 in September, will no longer be eligible for many support networks offered to families with children requiring special education.
“Once your child turns 21, they’re on their own,” Farrell says. 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 is more often than not left behind.”
As for the foundation, Farrell has “for years 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,” he says.
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