Colin Farrell has made an open letter regarding the heartbreaking decision to enroll his 21-year-old son in long-term care. The actor previously described the misdiagnosis of cerebral palsy in his son James.
Before doctors finally determined James to have Angelman syndrome, he revealed the heartbreaking medical error. It is a rare genetic condition that has an impact on the nervous system and leads to severe physical and learning limitations, according to the NHS.
A person with Angelman syndrome will likely live to be nearly normal, but they will need support throughout their entire life. James, who is not verbal, has been put in a care facility by his former flame Kim Bordenave and his father, Kim Bordenave.
The Golden Globe winner opened up about the decision and expressed his concern about how James might fare if support wasn’t provided. Some parents will say, “I want to take care of my child myself, and I respect that,” Colin said.
What’s my fear, though, would be if I had a heart attack tomorrow and Kim, James’ mother, Kim, was also involved in a car accident, and then James was taken alone?
The Batman actor continued, “Then he’s a ward of the state and he goes where,” in a statement released by Candis Magazine. We wouldn’t be able to participate in it. Colin and Kim are looking for a place to visit James while we’re still alive and well so they can take him out.
He stated, “We want him to find a place where he feels connected and able to lead a full and content life.” Colin discussed the effects of James’ misdiagnosis over the summer.
Colin claimed that because both conditions have similar symptoms, cerebral palsy is frequently misdiagnosed as a syndrome. The Phone Booth star admittedly couldn’t sit up when he spoke to PEOPLE Magazine. He wasn’t stumbling.
When we took him to have his cerebral palsy, I believe he was a year and a half old.
A group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and coordination are known as Cerebral Palsy. According to the NHS website, it’s a brain issue that arises before, during, or shortly after birth.
Because it shared many of the same characteristics, Colin continued, “It was a common misdiagnosis.” And undoubtedly that was a downer.
After receiving a paediatric neurologist’s recommendation that James be tested for Angelman syndrome, he wasn’t properly diagnosed until he was two and a half years old. Colin admitted that he had two crucial questions to ask doctors after the diagnosis was confirmed.
What is the life expectancy and the degree of pain involved, as I recall the first two questions I received? ‘, “Colin said”. And the doctor said, “Life expectancy is the same for you and for me, and pain is no, as far as we can tell.” “
The actor founded the Colin Farrell Foundation to help older adults who have intellectual disabilities last year. When he spoke at the time, he claimed that James would be “kind of on his own” once he reached the age of 21, as a result of the removal of all the safeguards for younger people with disabilities.
He explained that although the foundation had been on his mind for a while, now was the ideal time to start it.
In 2003, Colin and his then-girlfriend Kim welcomed James. Before he was even born, they had a turbulent relationship, but they are now reconciling for him.
Colin, who had battled alcoholism and addiction for years, was inspired by James to make the decision to end his addiction. He told the Mirror in 2006, “I have a new appreciation for my life. I wasn’t suicidal, but I never had a lot of the will to live.”
“As of right now, I want to watch my son grow up, be his friend, and hang out with him.” Therefore, I give him the most priority.
Colin shared that James’ condition with the Special Olympics in Shanghai in 2007 made her decision to come out in public about our son’s pride and joy.
He has made my life better, but I don’t want to minimize the difficulties that so many families face, such as fear, consternation, frustration, and suffering… It’s important to feel as though you’re not the only one raising a child with special needs.
We share the smallest victories, he said in an article for InStyle in 2012, “We have the seizures under control, and we can feed ourselves at the age of 19.” I nearly split up when James took his first steps when he was four years old.
In order to manage James’ personal needs and medical decisions for him, Colin and his ex Kim filed for conservatorship in 2021.
They requested that the court give them the authority to influence his social and sexual relationships and make decisions about his education. He may ask whether he can marry, access private records, and grant or decline medical approval.
Colin told PEOPLE last year that James has always “worked so hard, so hard” throughout his life. He remarked, “Repetition, repetition, balance, and his jerky gait.
By the time he started feeding himself for the first time, his face appeared to be Jackson Pollock-like. But he feeds himself beautifully and gets it in. Every day, I’m proud of him because I believe magic in him.
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