My toddler has same 'angelman' condition as Colin Farrell's son - he's defying expectations everyday

A mum whose toddler can't walk or talk due to an ultra-rare condition says seeing Colin Farrell open up about his own son's progress with it 'gives them hope'. Charlene Cooper's life turned upside down when her two-year-old Hudson was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome in November 2022.

Angelman syndrome is a rare disorder characterised by developmental delay, problems with speech and balance and, in some cases, seizures. The 34-year-old carer was told her tot - who is now three - would never walk or talk and would suffer with severe developmental delays. Despite this, Hudson has recently taken his first steps and said the word 'mama' - defying doctors' expectations.

Charlene's story comes after Hollywood actor Colin Farrell opened up on his own son's diagnosis of Angelman syndrome this week. Colin said in a new interview with People Magazine that his 20-year-old son James took his first step just a few weeks ago and is calling on the world 'to be kind'.

Charlene, who lives in Glasgow, Scotland, said Colin sharing his struggles has given her 'hope' for the future - describing her own son's story as very similar.

Charlene said: "It was emotional seeing Colin Farrell opening up about his story. I'm a fan of his. It hit a nerve. The way that Colin explains seeing his son take his first steps is exactly how we felt and who will watch his son when he's not here, that's what we think about as well.

"A lot of what he said resonated with me. It's really good that someone of such a high calibre is raising awareness of Angelman syndrome. It can open up a lot of doors for treatment, respite and understanding.

"When Hudson was diagnosed, we were looking up who else had it and saw Colin Farrell son's had it. Our stories are very similar. Colin's son's story gives us a lot of hope. Hearing his son is able to watch a movie and relax gives us some hope. It's amazing him opening up."

Charlene, who is a mum-of-three, said she first noticed delays in Hudson at six months old but didn't receive a diagnosis until more than a year later. Charlene said: "We noticed Hudson wasn't hitting typical milestones. From six months old, he wasn't sitting. He couldn't keep his head up. Typical things other babies were doing, he wasn't. I knew there was definitely something going on.

"It was very difficult to get appointments with a paediatrician during Covid. After numerous testing, he was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome a week before his second birthday. We'd never heard of it before. We were very emotional. It wasn't the life that we thought we were going to have. We thought our son would take over my husband's business one day.

"We were told that he would never be able to walk or talk. He would likely have seizures and severe developmental delays. It was the worst case scenario when we were first told."

Despite doctors' bleak predictions, Hudson has taken his first unassisted steps - and Charlene admits she would never change her little one. Charlene said: "He's still not fully walking yet but he's working so hard to do so. We were told he'd be in a wheelchair, so seeing him take unassisted steps is amazing.

"And he's said 'mama', which is just amazing. Anything he does new is like a massive celebration. He's such a social butterfly, he loves kisses and cuddles. We don't know if he'll be able to fully walk unassisted yet. There's a lot of Angels that do walk but there's a lot that don't. Time will tell.

"Now I look at life completely differently. It's not about when they do things, but getting them to that point in life. Timescales don't matter to us anymore. Hudson will get there in his own time. He brings so much happiness to the house. We'd never change him. He would light up a dark room. He's an absolute breath of fresh air."