Colin Farrell has opened up about the heartbreaking decision he made to put his son into a care facility.
The Oscar-winning star, 48, shares his 21-year-old son James with his ex-partner Kim Bordenave.
James has Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder which can affect development, speech, and movement.
According to the Mayo Clinic, people with Angelman syndrome can also experience seizures and mental disability, with the first signs of delayed development usually being evident from around six to 12 months of age.
People with Angelman syndrome usually live close to a typical lifespan, and while it is incurable, some of the symptoms can be managed with lifelong support.
Farrell revealed that he and Bordenave made the decision for James to be in a care facility for his own benefit.
He explained to Candis magazine: “It’s tricky – some parents will say, ‘I want to take care of my child myself’, and I respect that.
“But my horror would be, what if I have a heart attack tomorrow, and, God forbid, James’ mother, Kim, has a car crash and she’s taken too – and then James is on his own?
“And he goes where? We’d have no say in it.”
He revealed that he and Bordenave are hoping to “find somewhere we like where he can go now, while we’re still alive and healthy, that we can go and visit, and we can take him out sometimes.”
Farrell added: “We want him to find somewhere where he can have a full and happy life, where he feels connected.”
The actor also launched a charity in honor of his son last year, with the Colin Farrell Foundation aiming to support adult children with disabilities similar to his son’s, with advocacy and education programmes.
He told People last year that he wants the world to “treat [James] with kindness and respect” after he turned 21 and aged out of a number of support systems that helped him throughout his childhood.
Farrell explained: “Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own.
“All the safeguards that are put in place, special ed (education) 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.”
Farrell revealed that he had been working to establish the charity “for years” as James and others like him have “earned the right to have a greater degree of individuality and autonomy on life, and a greater degree of community”.