John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s 16-year-old son Jett has died, according to TMZ. No details have been released about the cause of death or when it happened – all that’s known is that the family was vacationing in the Bahamas, and a hospital there has confirmed Jett’s passing.
Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas tells TMZ the son of John Travolta died today.
We’re told 16-year-old Jett was vacationing with Travolta and wife Kelly Preston. We do not know the circumstances of his death.
There have been reports that Jett was autistic, though Travolta has denied it, saying he suffers from Kawasaki Syndrome, a condition which often leads to heart disease.
[From TMZ]
We will keep this story updated as more information becomes available. Our hearts go out to the Travolta/Preston family.
Update: MSNBC said that Jett suffered a seizure during which he hit his head on the bathtub.
The teenage son of actor John Travolta died suddenly on Friday during a family vacation in the Bahamas, according to the family’s lawyer.
Jett Travolta, 16, suffered a seizure at his family’s vacation home at the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island, attorney Michael Ossi said. According to Access Hollywood, Jett fell and hit his head on the bathtub in his hotel room.
Attempts were made to revive him, but he died at the scene, Ossi said.
Jett, who had a history of seizures, was the eldest child of Travolta and his wife, actress Kelly Preston. They also have a daughter, Ella Blue, who was born in 2000.
[From MSNBC]
Here’s John Travolta, Kelly Preston with kids Jett and Ella Bleu, leaving an airport in Rome on November 5th, 2005. Images thanks to Splash.
my deepest sympathy.
MSNBC says he had a seizure and hit his head on a bathtub! Holy crap, that’s awful. 16 years old!! I remember hearing it on the news when he was born. My heart goes out to their family.
My sincerest condolences to them on the loss of their child.
That poor little boy. I’m so sorry for him.
How terrible!
That is so deeply sad. I pray for them and for their healing.
Oh my gosh – that is so sad! What a terrible thing and right after New Year’s.
Wow, that’s absolutely terrible! 🙁
My deepest prayers go out to them.
But I can’t help but think, that had they only admitted to themselves that he was autistic and should be treated as such (and by that, I mean, with proper medication, love and care) then perhaps they could’ve prevented this tragedy.
We don’t know when or why we leave this earth, but a part of me can’t help but feel deeply saddened by the idea that perhaps, had scientology not been a cancer in their lives, this boy might still be alive.
For those who don’t know, Scientology refuses to acknowledge autism for what it is. And instead of treating it properly, they give you counseling and vitamins. And they reject you because of some silly belief that you’re NOT clear and can’t become as such. BullShit.
dunno what to say. i’m just so shocked. my deepest sympathies.
Very sad.
This is so awful. I feel terrible for this child and for his family.
Something about this just doesn’t feel right,though. I have to wonder if their belief in scientology indirectly led to his death. Doesn’t scientology have some strange beliefs with regard to medical treatments?
my sister, regina, was developmentally disabled. she passed away in her sleep after suffering a seizure. i wonder if jett travolta also had – autism, epilepsy, cerebal palsy, and retardation, like my sister…
adnera go throw yourself in traffic you insensitive prick.
Poor people, how horrific for them.
They must be out of their minds with grief.
My condolences to their entire family.
@Bdnera: I wouldn’t know since I don’t read the Enquirer.
Anyway, no finger-pointing implied but here’s what Agent Bedhead reports about the seizure aspect: http://agentbedhead.com/
Oh my heavens, this is absolutely horrible news. No matter how you feel about the family and their religious beliefs, this is quite simply the worst thing to happen to anyone.
My deepest sympathy and condolences to the family.
This is a very sad situation for the family. Both of the parents have contributed much to my life as far as entertainment and to think of their deep sadness right now affects me.
bdnera, your comment is uncalled for but I guess there’s always one who has to be the voice of assholeness.
Terrible, terrible news. Many prayers to the family.
Very shocking and very sad. What a tragedy. My heart and condolences go out to the Travolta family.
This news is so tragic. No parent should ever have to lose a child. My heart goes out to the family.
RAN – just what I was thinking. That other stuff just doesn’t matter in comparison to something like this. So very, very sad.
(posting again b/c my last one did not appear to go through, so my apologies if this is duplicative)
The blonde man in the photo behind John and Jett Travolta is Jett’s longtime caretaker. Perhaps they treat him like family, which would be a plausible (and, gasp, less seedy) reason for John Travolta being photographed giving him a hug and peck on the cheek in the past.
Of course this is a heart-wrenching event, but no one’s talking about the refusal of the Travoltas to have diagnosed and treated what many believed to be autism exhibited by Jett. Scientology doctrine forbids even the acknowledgement that autism exists.
That’s what the next few days’ articles will be about: was this terrible loss preventable?
What no one’s mentioning is that many have said that Jett was autistic and not being treated because of the dictates of Scientology. So the question is, could this tragedy have been prevented?
AnnaClaire:
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 am Of course this is a heart-wrenching event, but no one’s talking about the refusal of the Travoltas to have diagnosed and treated what many believed to be autism exhibited by Jett.
I think most of us are thinking it, but he died TODAY, so it’s hardly the time to bash, you know? (I’m not bashing YOU, I’m just saying I’m pretty sure that’s why the majority of us are simply expressing condolences and leaving it at that.)
jennifer: Exactly, thank you.
Speculation can be made later.
Right now, a family has lost its son, and it is grieving. Decency demands that we respect this and extend our well wishes and condolences.
I hugged my boys after reading this.
My thoughts and prayers go out to them in this time of grief and sadness.
AnnaClaire, I made the decision not to bring those issues up in this article, as I didn’t want to be insensitive. We have written about that in the past, and you can find the articles using the search feature at the top of the page.
I live in Ocala Florida very near John Travolta’s house. John spends most of his time here. I have met and spoken with John a few times, and said hello to his daughter Ella. I have not met Kelly Preston , nor did I get the chance to meet Jett, but I am very sorry for the news. John Travolta was always a friendly outgoing person with people he would meet and others that would approach him. It’s also unfair that now John will be a very different man. He reminds me very much of George Malley the role he played so well in Phenomenon. I can only hope that John, Kelly, and Ella find the peace that they need
So sorry to hear this. What a profoundly terrible and sad time for this family. My deepest sympathy to them.
While autism and seizure disorders often go hand in hand, they are two separate things. Autism does not cause seizures. (Seizures MAY cause autism in some kids, but that’s not been proven)
My deepest condolences to this family. I can’t imagine how horrible it is to lose a child.
I don’t care who you are, rich or poor, famous or not, there is no greater heartbreak than the loss of your child. My deepest sympathies go out to the Travoltas.
I can’t even imagine how bad this would feel.
Sorry, but no sympathy to family who refused to treat child’s illness. Maybe if they treated his seizures with meds instead of sauna treatments, the child would still be alive. Whoever practices scientology should have their head examined for severe mental illness!!!
I read your post on the Travolta’s ignoring their son’s autism and I think it deserves more attention.
After all, there could be some legal implications in the future for the Travoltas if it’s found out that Jett’s death could have been prevented, since the Travoltas are steadfast believers in Scientology, which does not recognize nor support autism and providing medicines to sick children.
It’s sad they lost their only son, but even sadder if his death could have been prevented without the interference of Scientology. His death should not be in vain due to their “religious” beliefs (though Scientology is not a religion at all). Perhaps they should not have forced their beliefs on their own child.
Just something to consider.
As sad a situation as it is to lose a child, and I myself have lost a child, but I also didn’t ignore my child’s medical conditions that probably resulted in his death. Or at least aided in whatever medical issue he had whether it be autism or Kawasaki disease, I guarantee you that child wasn’t medicated as he should have been. Is there no way Child Services looks into cases like this where religious fanatics refuse to medicate their children? What happened to the child’s rights to a healthy and happy life? What saddens me isn’t that they lost their son, but that he probably died needlessly.
I’m sure there will be more information forthcoming about what happened. Suggest everybody wait till we have more information before coming to any conclusions.
My brother has epilepsy and I know that seizures are dangerous because of side effects like swallowing the tongue and getting hurt if you fall and hit your head, etc.
i lost two of my older brothers at young ages and right now my heart is also going out to ella. it will never be the same for that family. the pain never really goes away, you just get better at dealing with it. i know this happens all the time (people losing their children) but i guess this is just a nice opportunity to feel empathy for another human being.
Since I doubt anyone on this blog knows what Jett’s medical condition was (only physicians who had treated the boy would have been able to confirm that), it seems irresponsible to speculate not only as to his condition, but whether or not it contributed to his death or if the Travolta’s are guilty of negligence.
I regard Scientology with a strong sense of suspicion and skepticism, but trying to blame the Travolta’s for their son’s death because they are Scientologists without any real knowledge of the facts smacks of a witch hunt mentality.
Right now, all we know FOR SURE is that they are parents who have lost a son they loved. Nothing is more tragic or devestating, and (until or unless they are PROVEN to have been negligent regarding their sons health) they unquestionably deserve sympathy and compassion.
Sorry to hear.
Give it a couple weeks people…I don’t think today is the day for blame.
I don’t want to imagine the pain John Travolta and his wife are going through, losing a loved one is terrible, but all i can say that time will heal all wounds.
I agree that the family deserves the benefit of the doubt and of course sympathy: regardless of religious belief, the death of a child is a horrific thing to deal with, but some of you guys have to remember that there families out there who have been hurt either directly or indirectly by Scientology. I have two kids with diagnosed mental illness and this topic always gets my feathers ruffled because I feel very strongly about the way Scientology insists that psychiatric illnesses do not exist and/or can be cured with vitamins, etc. So keep in mind that it’s hard to separate those two thoughts: sympathy for a family that has lost a child and a deep distrust of all things Scientology. Just a different perspective to think about.
know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
peace be with you
m
Oh my god that is so sad. Devastating to lose a child.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family. It is terrible to lose a child.
Not only does Scientology believe, as others have pointed out, that conditions such as Autism and Eplipsey do not exist and therefore require no medial treatment, they also believe that if a Scientologist has *anything* wrong with them – from a headache to multiple sclerosis – that it is their own fault! That they must have committed “crimes”(usually involving doubting L.Ron Hubbard or “the tech”)to bring it on themsleves. This requires more costly auditing and other punishments to clear themseleves of these ills. Of course, with the case of conditions like Autism, Eplipsey, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis auditing will never cure them. It is a vicious circle that often drives scienologists to suicide. What kind of church has this kind of harmful doctine? Scientology – it is worse than you think.
That is seriously awful news. My heart goes out to the family.
It is hard not to feel anger towards any parents who make a deliberate decision to not seek sound, scientific, and recommended medical treatment for a child with a serious medical condition, regardless if the reason is ignorance, neglect, or religious beliefs. I feel the same anger when I hear reports in the news of instances involving Jehovah Witnesses or Christian Scientists who do the same with their children. Sometimes parents cannot afford medical treatment and the fact that the Travolta’s are extremely wealthy only adds more insult to injury. Perhaps, with early and intensive treatment, this tragedy might have been prevented. Denying that a medical condition exists is ignorant and neglectful. They also could have contributed greatly to the wonderful research being done for new treatments for Autism. Visit autismspeaks.org to learn more about this subject.
I don’t feel any sympathy for parents who let their babies die in hot cars because “they forgot.” I don’t have any sympathy for mothers who “didn’t know” that their daughters were being raped by the mother’s live-in boyfriends. And I don’t feel sorry for parents who lose a child to illness when they refused to treat said illness.
I believe that parents in all three cases should be thrown in the bottom of the prisons.
I don’t know if the Travoltas are guilty of negligence…but if they are, then they killed their boy and should pay for it.
I don’t think catering to the sadness and regret of parents who killed their children is appropriate. I certainly don’t “respect” it.
I love John Travolta and feel so heartbroken for him and his family. what a devastating start to 2009 for them. Rest in peace Jett xx
you just never know when it is your last day! thoughts and prayers with the family 🙁
What a horrible accident, the pain of losing a child and a sibling is gutwrenching, I do not agree with withholding medical treatment from a child regardless of religion but I do not know the facts if that is the case in this situation, My deepest sympathy to the grieving shocked family. I hope they stay strong and support eachother through this and the tabloids and skeptics leave them alone at least for a while. God bless the Travolta’s
Czarina, your comments sum up my position on this issue pretty accurately. Families who lose a child never really recover.
How terribly sad and shocking for them all.
very sad indeed.. All we can do is pray for them.. Pray that their hearts will be comforted by the lord… They are such great people.
Did any of you notice that John was holding his son’s hand in the picture. That shows how close and protective he was for Jett.
This has to be horrible for them, unimaginable.
Regardless of their beliefs, they lost a son today.
My condolences.
To anyone that’s trying to find the connection between epilepsy and Kawasaki disease, just note that people do have seizures without a preexisting condition.
There were times when people started having seizures during puberty as a condition entirely of it’s own.
What a heartbreaking event. I don’t agree with the way the Travolta’s raised their children, but I can’t find the heart to judge them harshly. Jett has gone to a better place.
Autism doesn’t cause seizures, he had Kawasaki Disease. And they didn’t neglect treatment, there is no cure. They did credit the Scientology detoxification program for improving their son’s health, beyond that they had a full time nurse for him. Regardless of what they believed, no one deserves to lose a child.
This is terribly sad. Rest in peace.
I could not imagine loosing my child.
Sincere condolences.
I may be absolutely opposed to Crapentology but this makes me unbelievably sad. My deepest condolences to the family. It must be beyond awful and heart-wrenching to lose a child and, in Ella’s case, a brother. Horrible news.
May Jett rest in peace.
This is terrible and shocking. What is even sadder is that some people are choosing this time to say I told you so without ever meeting any of these people. John and Kelly loved their son. Whatever their beliefs they did their best. May be his siezures happened because of another condition. We will not know but please be decent and just join them in the mourning of the passing of their son. Judging makes you and your campaign seem mean and sadistic.
Poor boy, this is so sad. Condolances to his family, they must be devastated.
And I agree that any criticisms are best kept for another time and totally inappropriate on this thread.
First: My deepest condolences to the Travolta Family; their lives will never be the same again.
Secondly: After reading this blog, I am shocked that there are people out there like yourselves. While some of you are very level headed, compasssionate individuals..others….I have no words. Take a step back and see the big picture. You are at your computer trolling the internet for juicy celebrity gossip and then making
disparaging, downright hurtful remarks about a situation you know nothing about, about people you do not know (nor, will ever know), about the said person’s medical history that is complete hearsay, regarding a situation that is likely the most painful they will ever go through in their lives.
You are the ones that need help. Seriously.
This is so very sad. My condolences go out to the Travolta family and may Jett Rest In Peace.
I choose to believe that Jett’s death is a result of his Kawasaki disease. If anybody were to look it up they would find that it is an unpredictable disease that can cause aneurysms. Although it is rare for it to be fatal it does happen.
Lighten up people and take a minute to appreciate your own before you start bashing others.
I have a little boy with non verbal autism the best treatment is not always drugs but love and understanding, every picture i see of the child shows him happy and smiling, that is what we need to remember not acknowledging autism will not make it worse it can’t be cured and it did not kill him, God Bless Jett and his grieving Parents and sister, Our thoughts are with them at the loss of a special child
GrnMtGrl: Aneurysm is a weakening of an arterial wall which, if not caught and repaired will burst causing a bleed in the brain (which presents like stroke) or anywhere else in the body, i.e. the aorta resulting in a massive and fatal internal bleed. I know because the latter is what killed my father.
Jett died of a seizure, this is what has been verified so don’t confuse the issue in trying to support the Kawasaki argument: He did not pass away from a cardiac event caused by the disorder, if indeed he did have it.
The thing is, he had a history of seizures which went pharmacologically untreated with available and reliable medication because his parents were grievously misled by the Church of $cientology.
We don’t know what he died from because we’re not sitting here reading his autopsy results. Jesus Christ, enough with the pointless guessing and finger pointing.
I agree this is a tragedy. It’s more of a tragedy if it could have been prevented.
According to reports Jett went to the bathroom on Dec 31st and wasn’t found until 10AM the next day. Something is not quite right.
My utmost sympathies and condolences to the Travolta family- no one should ever for any reason have to mourn the loss of a child. So sad.
“his parents were grievously misled by the Church of $cientology.” I think that’s a very compassionate stance Baho. If anyone is responsible for a child not getting his proper medical treatment, it’s the Church of $cientology, who activley harm it’s people for the sake of a buck.
This is absolutely horrible.I’m sure alot of people are wondering if this story fits what actually happened. My 2 kids are epileptic, and my husband, if Jett went to the bathroom on Thursday nite, and not checked on until Friday morning at 10:00 am something isnt right. We check our kids all the time when we don’t see them and hear them and they are 21 and 16, so this doesn’t sound right. It’s just an awful happening for this family and my prayers are with them.
I give the Travolta’s my deepest sympathy on their loss. I lost a son two years ago to Medullablastoma (brain tumor that is cancerous). I know the pain they are feeling. I also have a son that takes seizures and worry all the time. Losing a child is a pain no parents should go through.
Kink – seizures are commonly associated with autism. A full 1/3 of kids with autism also have a seizure disorder. Seizures are not, however, associated with Kawasaki’s disease.
And to Kim: for many of us, pity for the Travoltas is not what we are primarily feeling, for the same reason I have a hard time pitying the parents whose child dies at their own hands or due to their own neglect. From what I have read, the Travoltas 1) knew Jett had a seizure disorder, 2) refused to treat it with proper, scientifically-proven medication, and then 3) failed to assure his safety during dangerous activities (i.e. bathing!). No one even noticed he was missing until the next day. Given his special-needs status (he was a non-verbal, low-functioning kid requiring near-constant care and supervision), this amounts to nothing short of neglect by Jett’s parents. I cry for Jett, not his parents. I hope that justice is served.
My mom taught me if you can’t say anything nice…. so…
This is so sad.
To Shannon, you have never lived with these people. All the information you have you have read from gossip sites. Besides like it has already been pointed out, this is neither the time or place to point fingers. You may have a problem with their beliefs but the fact is, they have lost their child who they loved. From what we are hearing, he had a caretaker who was responsible for his welfare in addition to his parents. We can never know the whole story. What the Travoltas need is our love and prayers not vindictiveness.
Shocking and terrible news. I’m not a fan of Travolta at all, but my thoughts and prayers go out to him and the rest of his family. May they muster up the strength to cope with this terrible loss.
I am so sad for John, Kelly & Ella,
John is genuinely one of the kindest men in Hollywood — he beams when he talks about his family. His loss is just awful.
I am so sad for John, Kelly & Ella,
John is genuinely one of the kindest men in Hollywood — he beams when he talks about his family. His loss is just awful.
i agree with others that it is neglectful of someone (jett’s caretaker or his parents) to have not checked up on the boy after his bath. it seems that a person with seizures, possibly autism, possibly a heart disorder should have been better monitored.
i am so sorry that jett must have suffered that night.
When has that ever bothered you vdantev?
Shannon how can you write things when you don’t know what you are talking about? The cause of death hasn’t been determined, but you are just reading and listening to gossip.
Give everyone a break and wait until you know for sure, then bash the grieving family.
Terrible loss for the Travolta’s. He and Kelly loved that boy. I recall seeing him in his arms for many years. I was surprised to see him so big now. How deeply sad for John.
i was thinking the same thing jane- dante, i ordinarily love your comments, but this is a serious case of the pot, kettle, and some blackness. people have every right to vocalize thei concerns about the situation and the travolta’s religiou beliefs and what role it may have played in the boy’s death. most of these comments are coming out of a place of concern and love for present existing children or those possibly in the future they may have. its not “not nice”-its intelligent debate.
An intelligent debate?
You’ve got to be kidding me.
whats not intelligent in your opinion?
Jane, I’m only a little bit of a bastard, not a f*c*ing bastard.
God bless them.
Developmentally disabled people’s lifespan is shorter anyway. Scientology has nothing to do with it so everyone just shutup about it already. Have some respect for these people and their grief.
ive been on various websites and thats all i hear is that john and kelly didnt treat him properly, meaning medication. first off all im not a scientologist and i dont believe in medication all of the time. i try to heal myself before i go to the doctor. some of yall can call me crazy but whatever. everybody body is different and what works for one dont work for the next person. im not a doctor so i dont know what was wrong with jett. i dont know what treatment was used in the past or present, so im not ASSUMING. but its sad that its 2009 and people are still ignorant. i dont know why i thought things would chnage, but hey i blame people upbringing.
as a parent of such a child i find the views here quite ignorant, most people do not medicate their child with autism, and all treatment can do is lessen symptoms, not cure them, it is not a life limiting condition, it sounds like the child was well taken care off, No-one has said the child was unattended, you don’t have to check a autistic child every hour of the night when they are asleep, i know, i have 3 of them, they have said not only did a nanny sleep 8 ft away from him there was a monitor as well keeping a ear out for him all the time, whether they accepted the condition he had or not it sounds like his every need was taken care off
Karen, I’m sorry to hear you have 3 autistic kids (not that you have those kids, but that they are autistic). It’s a terrible deasese that frightens most people because it’s so sudden and ununderstood, and well “unfair” (in the lack of communication and love you get from your kid). I have read about the vitamine D theory, what do yo think ? can you tell more about your story ?
John Travolta and Kelly Preston chose to raise they’re children the way they saw fit. It always remained a private matter, and now reports of autism have resurfaced, leaving people to think they have the right to interfere and pass judgment, on how they were taken care of. John Travolta has always been a very private man when it came to raising, his children.People do not know anything about that, other than how he spoke of them during interviews.Previously I wrote down my sympathies and sorrows, about the passing of they’re young son, so now I will say, the lives of John, Kelly, and Ella will never be the same, and because he is in the limelight of fame, John Travolta will not be that energetic enthusiastic man that I loved to watch. And for that I am very sad!
karen,
the only issue is that without admitting that such a disease exists, and adopting the medical standard that go along with treating/palliation of autism or whatever jett had, you have no idea what standard of care he was getting or even if that care corresponded to what the medical profession would have recommended/prescribed for the boy. thats the issue here: what kind of care and under what kind of treatment paradigm was the kid being treated when their religion prevented them from even recognizing the disease in the first place? xenu probably recommends a much different course of care for sick kids than a doctor who specializes in seizures might, so simply having someone with the kid all the time says absolutely nothing about the quality of medical attention he was getting.
and @miiopinion: going to alternative medicine doctors for homeopathy, trying to not overuse antibiotics, and letting the body heal before resorting to medication is a practice many people emply, myself included. i opt for many different modes of health care before resorting to standard western medicine because i dont believe in all of it. but that is a far cry from not recognizing something like autism, seizures, or kawasaki disease. that is definitely something you dont “wait out” esp. if you have seizures. thats f’ing crazy. thats like saying you just want to wait it out before getting a cast on a broken arm, or waiting for a headwound to heal before you go to the ER. the scale of disease is way different and your comments seemed very ignorant.
Our hearts go out to John and Preston on their sad loss
Our thoughts are with John and Kelly at their sad loss.
i’ve never heard the vitamin d theory, but autism is not a disease, it is a condition that affects communication and social and the imagination, nor is it sudden, and if they are neglecting their child then most governments need to be taken up for child neglect where i live we have a four year waiting list to get a child diagnosed (quick sue the British government) Seizures are not a part of autism, and noone ever denied the child had seizures i believe that was admitted,even with a very low functioning kid, autism is not a or ever will be a disease, and the kids can have a huge capacity of love for their carer, one of my boys is a low functioning child just like Jett was rumored to be, who has never spoke and still wears nappies at 9 and he goes everywhere with a smile, all the therapies have not worked for him and made no difference, and we have never used medication, every one who meets him comments on what a happy child he is, from what i have read it seems John and Kelly whether they accepted it was autism or not, put the care he needed around him, and without proper evidence and not the rumor mill that is surrounding this poor child’s death i will continue to believe they have done their best, comments are i can’t believe the child was in the bath alone, well no offense it was said he was in the bathroom not that he was having a bath, he could have been going to the toilet
sorry karen, should have said ‘condition.’ same difference. xenu prescription for monitoring conditions is probably way different than what you are doing for your kids, even with their best intentions, it isnt certain it was up to medical standards.
Bros: Sorry, I must of missed a post —Since when were you in a position to know
1)the exact details of Jett’s medical history or
2)intimately involved in his care (medical or otherwise) or
3) prevy to the very specifics surrounding his death?
To make these blanketed statements speaks to your ignorance and lack of respect for others. Not to mention intelligence (to answer your question a few posts back).
TMZ is reporting that the family’s lawyer said that Jett was being followed by neurologists and had been under medication to control his weekly grand male seizures (!!weekly!! how horrible) but that when the meds stopped working and the side effects started damaging his internal organs the parents decided to stop.
Kudos to the Travoltas for not being blind xenu followers and looking after their kid.
That poor kid seems to have had an excrutiatingly hard life and it was surely no picnic for the family either.
I really do think he’s in a better place right now and in time the family will be too. No matter how much money you have, caring for such a disabled individual going through so much pain is very taxing for the family emotionaly especially the younger siblings. Their hearts must be in pieces right now, I hope they will find solace in their daughter and maybe get a foundation going to responsibly integrate neuroleptics and such into the Xenu fort…who knows!
God bless.
In any case , clearly between the 24/7 nanny, the medical care AND the fact that apparently JT gave his son CPR while waiting for the ambulance, they really could not have done more. The family can definetly take solace in that.
May he r.i.p and thoughts and prayers to the family.
I didn’t criticize or judge this family. I don’t KNOW this family. In all probability, the Travolta family is in a truly pitiable state of grief, and I would naturally feel for such pain…if I knew them and had any ability to make my sympathies of any use.
I was simply expressing my objection, in my earlier post, to the idea that…no matter what…I should feel sympathy for parents who lose a child.
I contend that’s a faulty belief to hold, and it’s damaging in many circumstances to just throw a warm blanket of sympathy at people just because they have current cause for grief.
I wrote a bit ol’ long-winded thing that’s unnecessary for CB. My point is…I never accused the Travolta family. I was responding only to the idea that people should always “respect” the grief of a parent who has lost a child…no matter the circumstance.
I certainly feel for anyone who suffers tragic loss like this.
As someone who has had a seizure I know how scary it can be. Especially since I have absolutely no memory of the event. I was taking a seizure medication similar to the medication that Jett was taking and my med quit working also. I quit taking it since it did not work any longer.
To blame individuals for something they didn’t do is unthinkable, callous, and just plain wrong. My parents are terrified every time I have a seizure and I can only imagine what they go through when I have one. My seizures are from having Type 1 diabetes and having extremely low blood sugars.
To anon:
I am a fourth generation Jehovah’s Witness (my choice to become one) and I have always taken the proper medication for my illness (insulin, depression meds). You must be really confused if you think that Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse medication.
My deepest condolences to the Travolta family for their loss.
I want to express my sincere sympathies to John, Kelly and Ella. Losing a child is one of the most difficult things anyone can ever be faced with. I lost my son 6 years ago, to a rare form of cancer – he was 18.I think about him everday! You will never forget your child and will love him till the day you die. Each day will be a struggle;all you can do is think of all the wonderful memories that child gave you, although that in itself is difficult too. It will take time before you can think of your child without crying, and wondering why?I know all to well how devastating this is. My heart goes out to you and your family. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
@leecee: this is totally off topic, but I live next door to a JW house of worship, and I was wondering what your faith meets about so often? Are there youth programs/bible study and activities hosted by the members on weeknights, or are there services?
I don’t mean to be rude or intrusive, I’m just interested since it is consistently one of the busiest parking lots I’ve ever seen.
@what is ever.: I don’t think that is a rude question and I am happy to explain what goes on at our Kingdom Halls. As a group we love to study the bible and this is exactly what we do at our meetings. On a weeknight that is decided upon by the congregation (most of the time on a Tues. or Thurs.) we will gather together and review a few predetermined chapters of a book of the bible and discuss how they affect our lives today, how we can learn from the examples that may be found in the verses, and/or how they may apply to the future. We also sing praises to Jehovah (this is his name according to Psalms 83:18 and other verses) God. We also discuss how we can be better Christians and have a free school on how to be better public speakers. On Sundays there is a public discourse (basically a sermon) that uses the bible to help us be encouraged and not be discouraged with what is affecting our lives. Also on Sunday there is an interactive bible discussion based on a study article that is available to every one in attendance. Our meetings are always open to the public, and all ages are welcome to join in. The kids learn the same things that the adults do also. If someone wants a personal bible study in addition to what is provided then that is arranged easily with someone who is qualified to teach and available at the time when the person wants to have the study. Questions are always welcome and answered using the bible as the final authority.
I hope this helps and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask.
thanks leecee! I really appreciate that. My husband and I were just amazed at how dedicated the members are, I commend you for your strong religious commitment.
I think i can guess what happened to his son. It may be caused by his neck. A weck neck can often caused a so call panic attack.
Great article, JayBird, but I do have a couple of issues: “Hunter Tylo’s son died last year at 19 after having a seizure and falling into a pool and no one blamed her or her husband for his death.”
I’m not sure if anyone’s blaming the Travoltas, rather speculating what role their “religion” played in the matter.
If Hunter Tylo were a member of a cult that attributed physical illness to spiritual weakness and denounced medical intervention, the same questions would probably be asked.
Also: “Even with medication people can still suffer from seizures and accidents do happen.” Sure, and children who ride in car seats sometimes die in car accidents. That’s not a legitimate argument for failing to strap your kids in.
No matter how you look at it, this is just awful for everyone involved.
To the Travolta’s my deepest sympathy. I too lost a daughter to a secondary result of a siezure. We had tried to get hers under control for over 15 years. She died 9-17-2001. She left two children and a husband. She was my best friend. Please only have the warmest and positive thoughts for this family at this time. I have spent many days and years thinking-if only. They are going to have enough just getting through the loss. Beleive me they don’t need anyone to tell them what they ‘should have’ done. I won’t go into the horribly sad details of my daughter’s death but believe me I have asked and blamed myself a million times.
My heart and good thoughts go to the Travolta’s
Susie
I am also a nurse and I have dealt with many beliefs, religions and personal choices in my years. You can’t blame, judge or chastize you do the best you can do and honor the patient and thier family and wishes. Even if thier faith had been different it doesn’t mean this would not have happened.
I really hope that people let them grieve in peace for their son. Let the family be.
On the childrenshospital.org site Kawasaki Disease is very serious and affects mostly people of Japanese decent but can affect any child. It was tragic enough having a child with a serious illness just let them be and support them in this time of grief. That is my personal opinion.
There is a video on Youtube (I provided the link) showing John, Kelly and their kids coming out of a hotel and getting into a car. What a production! John ses the Stalkerazzi and looks so horribly, patheticly ill at ease. He seems to step in front of the cameras a couple times in an attempt to shield direct shots of Jett. Jett appears totally out of it like one would expect of a severely autistic person. Hard to know of course; that is just an impression.
The Kennedy’s shielded their sister who lived with Down Syndrome, eventually shipping her off to a convent out west. I applaud the Travoltas for not totally hiding the boy. But on the other hand think of what their celebrity status could have done to help with research funding.
Perhaps in the end no one will ever know the truth about the boy’s exact medical HX and DX. But in time some more truth may leak out. Those male ‘nannies’ may decide to write books now that they no longer have a reason to be employed. Wait and see. Money talks. And so do people.
Also very possible that the family will offer a HUGE incentive for them NOT to blab. But if you can’t even manage to keep a funeral home employee from talking about the contents of a death certificate, what makes you think you could buy the silence of those sitting on huge book deals? Or even more!