For many parents, witnessing their child take their first steps is an exciting and joyful moment. For Colin Farrell, it was that and so much more when his older son James, who has Angelman syndrome, walked for the first time. The 48-year-old Irish actor has opened up for the first time in an interview for People about life with a child with a disability. James, now 20, was first diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder when he was a little over 2 years old.
Colin says his son was initially misdiagnosed.
“He couldn’t sit up. He wasn’t crawling. I think he was a year and a half when we took him to get really checked out, and he was diagnosed as having cerebral palsy,” the father recalled. “It was a common misdiagnosis because it shared a lot of the same characteristics.”
What is Angelman syndrome?
According to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, the disorder causes developmental problems that tend to become noticeable in a baby around 6 to 12 months old. “Other common signs and symptoms usually appear in early childhood like walking and balance disorders, gastrointestinal issues, seizures and little to no speech. Despite these symptoms, people with Angelman syndrome have an overall happy and excitable demeanor,” the website notes. “An individual with AS will light up a room with their smile and laughter.”
The actor recalls his son walking for the first time.
Many parents of children with Angelman syndrome are told that they might not be able to walk, so you can imagine the emotional reaction Colin had to seeing James take his first steps, right before his fourth birthday. The actor recalls his son’s occupational therapist saying that they wanted to show him something.
“I knew they were working on walking. And I stood over there, and she let him go. I mean, it was so profound. It was magic,” he said. “I’ll never forget just the face of determination on him as he walked toward me. He took like six steps, and I burst into tears. I’ll never forget it. It was so overwhelmingly beautiful.”
Colin says his son is 'magic.'
According to Colin, James “has worked so hard all his life, so hard. 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.”
He launched a foundation to help support adults with intellectual disabilities.
Inspired by his two sons, the actor started the Colin Farrell Foundation to help support other adults with intellectual disabilities “through education, awareness, advocacy, and innovative programs,” according to the website. “Colin Farrell is dedicated to supporting those who the larger systems of governance have neglected.”
