James was only a few years old when he was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome.
Colin Farrell kept him protected from the cameras for nearly two decades. He did not talk about his son or showcase that part of his life, until James neared 21 and the actor understood something that terrifies any parent in his situation: the programs that support children with intellectual disabilities disappear just when they are needed most, when they reach adulthood.
That anguish gave rise to the Colin Farrell Foundation, an organization that provides housing, employment, education, and rights advocacy for people like James and their families. Farrell summed up his motivation in a single sentence: he wants his son to be treated with love. He did not ask for compassion or applause, only a place where James can continue to exist with dignity after the world stops looking at him as a child.
