He's diagnosed with Angelman's Syndrome
Colin Farrell has filed for conservatorship of his teenage son, James.
The 17-year old is non-verbal due to his Angelman's Syndrome diagnosis.
According to E! News, Farrell and model Kim Bordenave, who is James' mother, have asked to be co-conservators of James in a limited conservatorship.
The legal arrangement allows conservators to manage the personal needs, including medical decisions, of someone who is unable to care for themselves.
The court petition describes James' Angelman's Syndrome as "a genetic disorder which causes developmental delays and disabilities and affects the nervous system."
It explains that James “is nonverbal and has issues with his fine motor skills, making him unable to properly care for his own physical health and well-being and requiring him to need assistance in preparing food, eating, bathing, and clothing himself.”
Farrell and Bordenave are seeking the power to decide where James lives, access confidential records, withhold or grant marriage, withhold or grant medical consent, make decisions about his education and control his social or sexual relationships.
E! News reports that the court hearing is scheduled for September 27th.
Farrell previously opened up about his son's condition.
Speaking at the 2020 Global Summit and Mini-Gala for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, the star star shared what it meant to him to see James take his first steps two weeks before his 4th birthday.
"I'll never forget them," he began. "A child taking their first steps is always such a profound experience.
"Parents are disgusted if they miss it... Tears can flow, and it's such a huge kind of profound moment in the development of a child's life and in the relationship between a child and the child's parents.
"So when you're told your child might not walk and then your child does walk, two weeks short of his 4th birthday, the absence magnified the presence, when the presence arrived.
"And in the same way, the absence of certain abilities for our children… magnifies the need for us to all come together."
Follow @98fm online for all the latest news
