John Travoltas son dies | Arthritis Information
What a sad way to start the year. Hit his head on the bathtub while having a seizure. He was 16.OMG, just read the story.
That is just awful.
How Awful....this is tragic at anytime but so soon into a new year makes it more soOMG.. what a horrible shame.. too sad.
Wonder why he had seizures?
the news said autistic but apparently he had Kawasaki disease
I just saw this on the news. How sad for them to loose a son at such a young age.
I too just saw this on cnn. This is a terrible way to start a new year and my heart goes out to his family. So sad.
Yes it is terrible for any parents to lose a child so young.....very sad.
I took a look at what Kawasaki Syndrome was about as I had never heard of it. I was shocked to read a few reports that mentioned cleaning your carpets can MAYBE cause this! And one source also quoted Lancet as having voiced a concern re this also. I will try and find that article but in the meantime...
The last decade or so has seen growing concern for the overuse (and sometimes even using) of chemicals in the home. We have become neurotic about dirt IMO. I dont live in a dirty home at all, but I do use things like vinegar/bicarb of soda etc for a lot of cleaning.
Sorry, this probably needs to be a whole different thread!!
I feel bad about this too. What an awful thing to happen. Here you are enjoying a family vacation and wham! Your precious child is suddenly gone.
I heard this late last night but just watched it on the Today's show. How very, very sad for that sweet family. He looked just like him! You don't see them much in the news. It's been years since I've actually seen him. I can not imagine the pain they must feel right now.
They said he went to the bathroom and then no one found him until the next morning. They were saying "Why didn't anyone realize he didn't come back?" I sure hope they don't start making John and Kelly feel like they neglected him or something. I know if my 16 year old son said good night and went up to bed I might not check on him until morning....doesn't mean there was any neglect there. They have so much to deal with right now. I pray the media doesn't add to their burden.
while my heart bleeds for this family...... I can't help but wonder how much may have been brought on by their lifestyle and religion. Scientology does not encourage medication... yet.. seizures can be controlled by medication.
Heartbreakingly sad....
I was thinking the same thing, Babs. From what I've read...many are wondering the same.
This is so sad and shocking to me, too. I saw a segment on Larry King last night about it, so there might be more current stuff out there now that I have missed, but there was some speculation that maybe they were using some type of meds for autism that would cause a seizure.
They said the family denies he was autistic, but the video clip the kept showing showed him holding hands with his dad as they got into a van - looked strange, since he was an older teen the size of a man.
Also had a Backstreet Boy whose young son was just treated for Kawasaki's. The mom made sure to say to all parents, "Trust yourself", because twice their drs. were sending them home saying everything was fine when it wasn't. They asked to have their son's heart checked and that is how the dx was finally made.
Dr. Gupta was also on, he said it would be extremely unusual/rare if Kawasaki's at age 2 caused this to happen to Jett at age 16. He said it affects your heart, not your brain. He also said even with an autopsy, it would hard to know happened first - seizure then fall or fall then seizure. I know these unknowns must only make it harder on the family.
I couldn't imagine losing a child. The pain would be life changing
My sympathy goes out to his family and friends..They are Scientologist and their belief is no medications etc, we can not judge them because they chose not to use medication for their child. There are many out there now who are not Scientolgists who do not believe in using medications on children for add, seizure activity, hyperactivity, etc. They use diet and other alternative methods, does this mean they are bad parents, NO. My heart goes out to the Travoltas and people should not be second guessing what they should have been doing we do not know all the story and I am sorry but they deserve the privacy to be able to grieve for the loss of their son without everyone putting in their 2 cents worth. meme
[QUOTE=meme]They are Scientologist and their belief is no medications etc, we can not judge them because they chose not to use medication for their child. There are many out there now who are not Scientolgists who do not believe in using medications on children for add, seizure activity, hyperactivity, etc. They use diet and other alternative methods, does this mean they are bad parents, NO. My heart goes out to the Travoltas and people should not be second guessing what they should have been doing we do not know all the story and I am sorry but they deserve the privacy to be able to grieve for the loss of their son without everyone
putting in their 2 cents worth. meme by virtue of being public figures.... they will be discussed..
I am of the opinion that they were neglectful if they did not medicate for something like seizures.
I wonder if the story will ever come out.
ET change: in to IF
babs102009-01-04 14:26:51I too have a hard time if parents with hold medicine that can be life saving. ADD and other disorders are different. Anti-seizure medicine is a necessity. It would be like not giving a diabetic insulin.
But, who knows the whole story? I really feel for the family. Regardless of their situation, they are having to live the unthinkable.We don't know if he had a seizure disorder do we? I have not heard that report in the media. This may have been his first seizure....or like someone said, he fell, hit his head, which caused the seizure. This is hard enough for this family without us passing judgement. Since anyone can read this, we best just send them our condolences and allow them to grieve.
no judgment here.. just reporting what I've heard.. but if the child had an unmedicated seizure disorder... the debate will begin. :(
It has been established that he had seizures.... as well as a male nanny 24 hours a day...
There is alot of information on the net...
data:
It also appears he had a history of status epilepticus, which can result in focal motor deficits, mental retardation, behavioral disorders, and chronic epilepsy. It is often caused by a neurotransmitter imbalance in the brain; for instance, excessive activation of glutamate, or inadequate synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
Management of chronic seizures typically involves chronic therapy with anti-seizure medications.
It's also been said that the seizure is most likely not what killed the child.. but that his fall may have. I understand that an autopsy is being performed..
I read there will be 2 pathologists doing the autopsy. Should know more after that.
Huffington Post:
Jett had long suffered from seizures, convulsing and losing consciousness, and his medication that once worked had stopped, family lawyers and friends told TMZ Sunday:
Jett had been having seizures on an average of every four days, until he started taking Depokate. Ossi and McDermott say the drug initially worked, reducing the frequency to approximately once every three weeks.
Jett took Depokate for "several years," but it eventually lost its effectiveness, according to Ossi and McDermott. They say "it began to cause serious physical damage" including damage to Jett's liver. And, Jett went back to having at least one seizure every four days. So Travolta and Preston, after consulting neurosurgeons, stopped administering the drug.
Kelly Preston's sobbed Saturday over grandson Jett Travolta's death. "I am devastated," Carlson told Us through tears. "He was the light of our lives."
John Travolta tried to resuscitate son Jett, say close family friends/Travolta's lawyer who is in the Bahamas with the Travolta family:
Thanks for posting that, babs.
I had a feeling it could be that they had tried meds or that there was some kind of problem with them. My cousin has severe epilepsy since age 7 and suffered seizures almost daily even while on meds. The effects the meds had on him were terrible as I remember. He had 2 hospitalizations from life threatening injuries that occured during seizures. One was while riding bike and they other I can't remember what he was doing when it happened.
The Travolta's sought medical attention for his Kawasaki Syndrome and I don't readily believe they would let him suffer seizures without medical help.
It is heart breaking. I can not imagine losing a child.
I have a child that suffers seizures and I don't believe for one minute that any parent would let a child suffer these fits without medicating their child if it is necessary, I beleive Jett had an awful history of seizures and they were not easy to treat, the Drs have even suggested that my son go unmedicated for a while so it does happen. God rest his little soul and God bless his family and friends who must be devastated. Hugs Janie.
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