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Fri 2 Jan, 2009 06:31 pm
The 16-year-old son of actor John Travolta died Friday morning after suffering a seizure while vacationing with his family in the Bahamas, Travolta's attorney told CNN.
"At this point, we know that John Travolta and Kelly Preston's only son, Jett, had a seizure at around 10 a.m. this morning," attorney Michael Ossi said. "All attempts to revive him were unsuccessful."
The cause of death is not known, Ossi said. An autopsy will be conducted Monday. His body will be transferred to Ocala, Florida, for burial, he said.
Jett's death "was completely out of the blue," he said. "John and Kelly are happy when their children are happy. This is the worst day of John's life."
The Travoltas also have a daughter, Ella, 8.
Bahamian police said a caretaker at the West End resort where the Travoltas were vacationing found the teenager unconcious in the bathroom. Jett Travolta was taken by ambulance to Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport and was pronounced dead on arrival, police said.
Jett Travolta had a developmental disability that his parents, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, have linked to Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disorder of the artery walls that most commonly occurs in young children and can lead to heart disease.
In 2001, John Travolta told CNN's Larry King that his son had a near brush with death related to the condition.
"I was obsessive about cleaning -- his space being clean, so we constantly had the carpets cleaned. And I think, between him, the fumes and walking around, maybe picking up pieces or something, he got what is rarely a thing to deal with, but it's Kawasaki syndrome," Travolta said of his then-2-year-old son.
"It was that the immune system overreacts, because they have almost the equivalent of metallic chemical," Travolta said.
According to the American Heart Association, "About 80 percent of the people with Kawasaki disease are under age 5. Children over age 8 are rarely affected."
The causes of Kawasaki disease are unknown. Some scientists think it's caused by an infectious agent, such as a virus. Some studies have noted a link between the disease and carpet cleaning chemicals.
John Travolta gained fame in the 1970s, starring in the television series "Welcome Back, Kotter" and the movies "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease." His career got a boost in 1994 with his second Best Actor Oscar nomination, for his role as a hit man in "Pulp Fiction."
Preston has numerous TV and movie credits, including a supporting role in 1996's "Jerry Maguire."
@djjd62,
Oh...... how terribly sad, heartbreaking for the family.
Every parent should read :
The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being by Nena Baker
We have been seduced into believing many bad things are good for us. This book talks about how these disorders are caused by what expose ourselves and our children to.
how tragic.
my condolences to the Travolta familiy
@chai2,
onw of our own on A2K is going through this right now = Boxing Day - terribly hard to comprehend... thoughts to the famil'es and our wee family folk here.
@Izzie,
What do you mean... I've been very busy and have missed a lot. Someone on A2K recently lost a child?
@sozobe,
Mystery Man had a nephew pass away on Dec. 26th...family is struggling right now. Very tragic...our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him.
@mismi,
Oh, thanks for filling me in. Sorry for the sad news though, all around...
@mismi,
Oh my. I missed that about MM. Is there somewhere we can voice our support?
I cannot even imagine what it must be like to survive your child. It is a great equalizer between the famous and the real people of the world.
My thoughts to both families tonight.
@boomerang,
He has only really spoken about it on the Yabber thred...
http://able2know.org/topic/111721-534#post-3517855
(omms to KY)
sympathies to MM as well.
Dr. Dre lost his son as well. And Mia Farrow lost her oldest daughter. Tragedy made it's rounds this season. There can't be much worst for a heart to bear than losing a child.
@eoe,
eoe wrote:
Dr. Dre lost his son as well. And Mia Farrow lost her oldest daughter. Tragedy made it's rounds this season. There can't be much worst for a heart to bear than losing a child.
Tragedy makes its rounds every season- every day in fact. It's just that if someone famous is involved we all get to hear about it. I hope this doesn't make me sound hard hearted, but it is a fact.
@chai2,
sorry Chai/Soz/Boomer... thanku RH... hadn't seen your posts last nite...
http://able2know.org/topic/111721-530#post-3514771
Yes, my deepest condolences to John Travolta and his family. I hope they aren't too sad, or they might seek help here. We will help them, right? LOL!
@flyboy804,
flyboy804 wrote:
eoe wrote:
Dr. Dre lost his son as well. And Mia Farrow lost her oldest daughter. Tragedy made it's rounds this season. There can't be much worst for a heart to bear than losing a child.
Tragedy makes its rounds every season- every day in fact. It's just that if someone famous is involved we all get to hear about it. I hope this doesn't make me sound hard hearted, but it is a fact.
Not hard-hearted in the least. It is a fact, just as you say. Peoples' children die every day. The only difference here is that it's the children of celebrities.