Jett Travolta dies at 16; may have had untreated autism
Saturday January 3, 2009
Actor John Travolta's 16-year-old son, Jett, died in the Bahamas yesterday after hitting his head in the shower following a seizure. According to an ABC-News story, an autopsy is planned. While this tragic event clearly new by any measure, it has become big news in the autism community because, for years, it has been suspected that Jett had untreated autism (rather than Kawakaki Disease, as reported by his father). The belief was that Travolta, a Scientologist, was unwilling to admit the possibility of autism.
There has been a good deal of speculation - in and outside of the autism community - about the Travolta's views of autism and their choices of treatments for Jett. In part, that's because of attention drawn to the family by John Travolta's filmmaker brother, Joey, who produced the film Normal People Scare Me and founded the organization Actors for Autism.
The death of Jett Travolta is raising strong feelings among in the autism community; some are angry that a child of a celebrity was not provided with appropriate treatment. Others are simply sympathetic to a couple who has lost a child.
Do you have an opinion regarding the tragic death of Jett Travolta?
Comments
For once, will the press just leave this family alone and quit behaving like the lowest common denominator of humanity. This family is suffering a tremendous loss. These are truly loving parents. Our family sends love and support in their time of grief.
He didn’t die of autism. He died from a seizure. Although I think it’s pretty ridiculous that they never got him any therapy or help because of “scientology.” (AKA, insanity)
The autism “community” is upset and speculating Jett was “untreated” because of his father?? I am beyond disgusted that Lisa Jo Rudy could write such shameful and unfounded accusations at such a terrible time. My heart breaks for John and Kelly.
these people loved their kid and gave him the best life they could…
none of us know them at all, and have no idea what he did or didn’t have, or what he was or wasn’t treated for!
so what business does any one have to speculate, most likely inaccurately,on the issue???
and devoted parent would be devasted, absolutely devasted by the deated of the child they doted on, and dont need nasty gossiping gurdies speculating and conspiracy theorying about them.
very, very sad and i can’t imagine having to cope with that myself!
i certainly applaud them for keeping him out of the spotlight so he didn’t have to endure endless chatter about him, and the stress of having all that attention all the time…
how sad, their only son, firstborn, is lying dead on a slab somewhere, and his family are crying their eyes out at not being able to ever get him back, and they should have been enjoying a lovely family holiday
Autism is a hidden disease or denied because of the social fallout. My nephew was a bright beautiful baby until he had his first triple vaccine. He ran a high temp which the pediatrician said was normal-”just bathe him in tepid water & give him tylenol & don’t worry”… Famous last words and that happened 44 years ago and not just 10 years ago. Denial, denial, denial. My sister-in-law would say, “Please come over and help me” … I watched this child stand in the middle of the floor and scream; cry when his music boxes played; sit on his child’s desk facing out a window; “drive his truck” making motions with clenched fists and noises; arrange his toys in pyramids that even I couldn’t get to balance; last by least read and memorial a book on the Presidents of the US - you couldn’t trip him up & still to this day he’ll tell you the exact order in which they served. This child is a statistical genius and had to be taught to memorize his school lessons just to get him through school. The educators in their school district, including the psychologist are educated morons … I kept saying he has a text book case of Asperger’s and I was told I was told Asperger was a nut-case. Now when I see these same people, they look away from me. Idiots & those in denial come in all sizes shapes and colors. Working together, this man is employable - he drives a truck for a living and is married to a wonderful, intelligent lady. I call this success.
Correction: I apologize … I accidentally depressed enter before I could edit the typos. ‘Last BUT not least’ read and MEMORIZE a book on the Presidents (when he was 4 years old)…
My husband & I just read the previous comments about Autism & Religion. How does religion play a role? Is the writer speaking of Scientology, the religion practived by the Travoltas? http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/Part05/Chp19/pg0308.html
Did Travolta’s try to handle their son’s illness without consulting with professionals?
This is a major news story, and in many cases reporters are making a connection between autism, scientology, and the Travoltas. Since it is such a major story, it seemed to me that I should make mention of it on this blog.
On a personal level, I can’t begin to guess whether Jett Travolta was or was not diagnosable with autism, or whether or not his parents managed his medical conditions appropriately. I can certainly say (and did say) that his death was a tragic accident, and that his parents must be devastated.
Lisa (autism guide)
This is a tragedy in so many ways. Our son had autism and also died of or during a seizure. The chances of death due to seizure among young males with developmental disabilities is much higher than among the rest of the population with epilepsy. (The vast majority are discovered in bed or in the bathroom.) When no steps are taken to manage the seizures, the risk grows dramatically. The problem, therefore, isn’t whether the Travoltas treated Jett’s autism, but did they treat his epilepsy? If they were in denial over his disability, it’s likely they did not. My heart goes out to them, as I know exactly what they are feeling. I, too, discovered my son dead. The pain is almost too much to bear. But, sadly, not even this is likely to sway them from Scientology.
Thank you, Lisa, for writing about this. Sorry if it offends some fans, but the Travoltas’ treatment of Jett was a issue for those of us in the autism community (read: autistics and families of autistics) for several years now. We have been disturbed by the John & Kelly’s refusal to acknowledge their son’s autism (how much help they could have brought to the cause by becoming a celebrity spokesperson!), and by refusing to give him whatever special education and therapy he might need to help him live a happy, fulfilled life. Why? Not because giving Jett speech therapy, PT, OT, or ABA are drug-based therapies (clearly they are not), but because to do so would confirm an autism diagnosis, which $cietologists consider a shameful “psychological” disease. Instead, Jett was cloistered away from his family, constantly left in the care of “handlers”, and his parents regularly ignored the fact that they had 2 children. And now he is dead. Perhaps his death was unavoidable - seizures are very common with autistics, and often cannot be avoided. Perhaps if John and Kelly had dealt with Jett’s autism and given him tools to express himself, he could have told the “handlers” who were caring for him that night that he didn’t feel well, and perhaps they would’ve watched him more closely. Who knows. What I do know is that Jett’s short life seemed pretty sad - NOT because he was autistic, but because his parents refused to accept him.
Why is it anyone’s job to be a spokes person? There are enough out there .There is no need for a family to give up their privacy to appease others.
No one knows what meds the son was on. If you look at the son’s face though you can see the son was on at least an antipsychotic or an older epilepsy med.
As far as their religion if you take away a person’s belief system then they go through such a trauma that they cannot handle the other issues in Life. Ones spiritual beliefs are what keep us going every day. If they had denied their beliefs would they have had the strength to go on? Would you? Please we need to accept that there is more than one road through life and that we help no one by forcing a road on others.
Plus no one will ever know if the son would have not died anyway even if the family gave up their road, became spokes person and tried every therapy out there. We are not gods just error prone humans.
My condolences to the family.
sorry I posted again but I can’t get people judging anouther families choose out of my head.
I found this video of the Travoltas filmed about a week ago by paparazzi. The family was in Paris while dad was filming. If you look at Mom you can see this was not a set up for publicity as she is not all done up but looks like the rest off us doing her daily life.
Look no handlers, Jett is with them and referencing his parents. He is not being hidden he was not left at home hidden from others. Watch all the way till about the end. Who does the family make sure is buckled and safely in the car first? Jett. This does not look like a video of a family that doesn’t care about their kid. They just choose to deal with their issues a different way than others would. Day in and day out parents of autistic kids are judged by others. The last thing we should do is turn around and judge another parent as we know the pain of that judgment.
To see the video go to the bottom of this web page.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/02/jett-travolta-dies-son-of_n_154877.html
I realize that Scientology doesn’t recognize autism as existing, etc., but what about epilepsy?
I don’t think we have enough information to be speculating on the death. The reports that I have read seem a tad odd. One said he was last seen entering the bathroom on Thursday and found on Friday. Who knows what the truth really is.
John Travolta does seem like a nice guy. Maybe brainwashed a tad, but nice guy. It’s hard to know what to believe.
First of all the main concern should be for Jett’s family and how they are suffering - no matter who they are. Second, no one can know what it’s like to live in someone else’s home and live day to day with the children that are born to them - with disabilities or not. Judging someone by pictures or heresay is ridiculous. Last, my son has Asperger’s Disorder - which is in the autism spectrum. As anyone who has lived with this knows there is no quick fix. There are no absolute answers. Sometimes medications help with certain aspects of autistic disorders - but nothing cures it. My son has had several episodes of “syncope” which is a fancy term for passing out. The doctors have not classified it as seizure activity or associated it with his Asperger’s but said anything is possible because there is so much we don’t know yet about neuroscience. I’m sure that John and Kelly did everything they could to help their child and made the decisions they thought were best based on what they experienced in their day to day life. To criticize them is to criticize everyone who deals with any child who is “different” because someone will always have an opinion that is different from the path they chose. Leave them to grieve their son who they no doubt loved beyond words and will miss forever.
I have a nephew how is almost the same age as Jett was and is as dramatically affected by Autism. NO ONE knows what treatments or meds he was on,or wasn’t on, this is pure speculation. It is so obvious they loved and adored their son. What ever happened to the right to privacy? These hurtful and ignorant comments on it being ANYONE’S fault are ludicious. If they chose to keep their privacy that was their decision. No activist should have the right to “out” a sick child. I grieve with them in their loss and hope the rest of the world will let them have their privacy in their time of inconsolable loss.
It is horrible and tragic, and whenever a child dies it is everyone’s business… that’s why there should be an investigation of Jett Travolta’s death. According to the Church of Scientology, people with mental illnesses are “degraded” and capable of curing themselves by working harder on the church’s teachings. John Travolta and Kelly Preston are victims of Scientology, a dangerous cult that destroys lives. Using mind-control techniques such as lie-detectors, interrogation, blackmail and “disconnection” (shunning of loved ones), Scientology strips people of money and autonomy. Ruthlessly attacking all perceived enemies with its Fair Game Policy, Scientology intimidates witnesses into silence.
I am the mom of a child with autism.
I am very sorry for their loss. And of course, the Travoltas are entitled to their privacy. But for years they have chosen to speak out publicly on Kawasaki Syndrome, which is extremely rare to begin with. IMHO, it’s a farce. I wish if they were going to make something up, that it be a disease for which the publicity could benefit public health.
I was mesmerized by the video a previous poster gave the link for, of Jett in Paris recently. Note how he is surrounded on both sides by his parents, as they let their 8-year old daughter lead the way into the crowd.
Just think with the resources that the Travolta/Preston family has, the therapy (NON-drug therapy, like OT, speech therapy or ABA) that they could have provided their only son.
I have mixed feelings on this. My heart goes out to the family, obviously they loved their son very much, no matter what people say. But the criticism of how they have dealt with their son has been going on for years now and I agree it has been justified. Anyone who has watched the video or has seen pictures of Jett (walking on his tiptoes, looking at his hands) and has any knowledge of autism can see clearly there were signs there. It’s convenient for them to use Kawasaki disease, and blame contaminants because it suits their religious convictions. I have a son with Aspergers and it has always bothered me that this couple seemed to turn up their noses at this disease, knowing now that Hubbard called autistic people “degraded beings”. I still think their nutty religion blinded them from getting their child the real help he needed, if even the proper medication to handle his seizures. How can anyone really think that their religion can “cleanse” them of impurities and toxins and cure them? Those statements bothered me then and they still do.
The first thing a Scientologist will do if there is any illness is go to the Doctor. That is part of our doctrine. I really get so tired of people believing everything they read about my religion from the press. Leave the poor family alone. I can only imagine the despair that they must be feeling.
RE: Catherine ..Scientology is not a religion, it is a cult and a danger to the health and well being of minor children who dont have a voice.Not believing that psychiatric issues and brain disorders are real is your right for yourself but denying or ignoring a clear medical problem w/ MINOR children is a crime.
If his death was due to untreated autism or a neurological disorder, I believe there should be legislation passed against any religion that would mandate bringing charges against any parent who fails to at least attempt to get the proper medical treatment, if they can. It is too early to tell what exactly happened, but I know of far too many scientology horror stories. The only thing more tragic than a possibly preventable death, is the fact that Travolta and Preston may have believed that they were doing the right thing by “treating” him with scientology. I hope this is a wake up call far and wide if what I suspect is true.
It comes right down to no one in the autism community nor else where has a right to suspect a thing, and then be angry. There are many disorder’s that mimic autism and none of us has a right to judge or be judgmental of a family I no doubt none of us have had direct contact with in order to know what this child had or didn’t have.
Regardless, even with medications for seizures, a person can still die as a result of a seizure.
Jett’s death was very tragic but I think what’s more tragic is so many judgmental people in one community. How would any like to be judged for their choices? What’s truly tragic is the 16 years of this child’s life, his parents were tormented about their child having autism.
He did not die of untreated autism , having a son with autism and a seizure disorder I know there is no medication to relieve the symptoms of autism but there are medications to keep the seizure disorder under control. I sure hope he was on seizure medication if he has a history of seizures,…. Its a tragedy either way but shame on them if his seizures went untreated due to religious beliefs…
Sandy Unless you have a child with autism you have no right to say we are judging. It isnt anybodies business if Jett was autistic. That is true. But working for a nueroligist I do know seizure medication controls the severity of the seizure… So dont make comments when you dont have first hand experience. Especially about autism. This family could of brought so much awareness and help to the autism community. These people struggle daily to help there children adjust to the world around them.. That is what is meant …..
joanne~ that is a good example of judgemental. You assume what my experience is just as you assume what the Travolta’s should had done. I will not defend my experience or my relation to autism, that is my right just as it is any one else’s and people need to start respecting that.
I know that there are times in people’s lives that medication change due to puberty and other things. I also know people who have died from a massive seizure regardless of medication.
Even if the child did have autism, that doesn’t automatically mean they would had done anything for the autism community, and if he had, he’d probably been attacked by other ’social stars’ for differing opinions in the media as has happened before.
Common sense also tells me if this child’s seizures were untreated, more than likely he’d had died much sooner- and as reported, it is speculated he didn’t die of the seizure but a brain injury from hitting his head. He may had survived the seizure otherwise.
I am sure every parent does what they feel is right for their children having autism or any other disorder or for those who have typical kids. I am sure this family went through all the emotional things any one goes through when their child has a disorder. We should be supporting them in their time of grief, not speculating and assuming what they should had done based on what position the ‘could’ had offered a community that can not for sure know if Jett had autism or not, or exactly what his treatments were for what ever it was he had.
I was very sorry to hear of Jett’s death. The family’s suffering must be enormous.
If his death is the result of untreated autism & epilepsy then this is all the more tragic, because it could well have been prevented with medication. Scientology’s appalling attitude towards people with mental/neurological disorders & illnesses deserves a lot more scrutiny. No child should be denied appropriate medical treatment.
Some former Scientologists have spoken out about this, but have suffered as a result because the cult has a reputation for silencing and bankrupting its critics through relentless lawsuits.
There are reports now that Jett’s carers had no medical qualifications, but were fellow Scientologists and wedding photographers. If that’s true, then they would have been of little use in such a medical emergency.
It is criminal not to recognize neurological disorders and, subsequently, allow them to go untreated in the name of any religion.
It is indeed tragic that Jett has passed - and no parent should EVER have to experience that pain. I can’t even imagine.
Kelly and John have their beliefs (as do Christians, Jewish people, Islamics - etc.). I personally think ALL religious faiths are cults; look up the definition of cult. Religions all have ‘rules’ (what/when you can eat, what medical treatment you can receive, who you can marry - whatever). I think it’s all BS. But, this is my opinion. I can judge others - but I cannot tell other people what to believe or how to raise their kids.
And, this is the reality of Jett’s situation. He was born into Scientology. His family lived by those ‘rules’. If he’d been born a Jehovah’s Witness maybe he would’ve died even sooner. Who knows. It’s really none of our business.
But, what IS our business is that we see celebrities on talk shows and in interviews. We listen to what they say. We sometimes emulate them. In light of this, I think celebrities have a responsibility to AT LEAST be TRUTHFUL about their lives (if they choose not to remain silent).
It’s OBVIOUS that Jett DID NOT have Kawasaki Disease - but rather something that more closely resembles a neurological/psychological disorder. So, then we see Kelly Present on talk shows freaking out the world about their carpet cleaner giving their kid a disease!
Why not be noble and use this as an opportunity to make the world a better place? Look at what Jenny McCarthy has done for Autism. Just what she’s done to help awareness is awesome! But, above and beyond all, she wasn’t AFRAID to admit her son has Autism and she took a negative and turned it into a positive.
John and Kelly will have to live with whatever they did to treat (or NOT treat) Jett’s condition. It’s just sad that their son’s entire life was a lie.
May that poor boy rest in peace…
I have heard that Jett had no speech. Epilepsy is common w/autism (25%)The family refused to diagnose autism nor treat. He could have been helped with therapies designed for autism speech and spoken up of his own unwellness. His epilepsy should have been better managed with drugs. The family reported today they had stopped giving him depakote and no replacement drugs were made. If true as it sounds, this is criminal child abuse material.Hopefully their wealth & position would not protect them from investigation of their weird 24×7 male nanny way of managing his autism\epilepsy without appropriate treatments-others have been indicted for not child death resulting from refusing to provide appropriate medical treatments.
I wonder if the community for Down Syndrome is as judgmental as the autism community. And yes, I have a child with autism. First off, I doubt that one person here has been on the inside of the Travolta family; this is just people making assumptions and baseless judgments.
Second, whether this child had autism or not, it isn’t any of your business. NO parent is under any obligation to disclose their child’s medical history. Regardless of their celebrity status, they are not under any obligation to speak out for or about any community.
Third, how many of you would like to come before a self-designated committee and be judged on what you have or haven’t done for your child? Honestly, what gives anyone the right to judge? Seriously, this community is its own worst enemy.
BTW, the term “autism expert” is an oxymoron.
Your rush to judgement is disturbing. The child was being treated by a neurologist for his seizures and Depakote was discontinued by THAT neurologist.
I find it very scary that the “autism community” is rushing to judgement on what is a tragic accident. No wonder parents of autistic children avoid the “autism community” if this is the support they would get.
One would have to read up on Kawasaki Disease to know what it is, what the long term effects are and if it persists. it’s also hard to argue a diagnosis that was given to another person. I have read this child was two years old, and regardless of the Travolta’s religious beliefs, was hospitalized for 5 days. News articles also report that the child’s seizures were controlled. It seems to me this family obtained medical treatments. Seizures can be a percentage of those with autism, or not. There are also many reasons a child is non verbal other than autism. I was brought up a Jehovah’s Witness, and as long as you did not need a blood transfusion, we accepted all other medical care and drugs.
Some people choose not to have ABA, special diets, biomedical, chelation. Where is it that states any one has to do anything other than O.T and speech? Maybe they did floor time or RDI? Who really knows and does it matter now? For all anyone knows that ‘weird’ male nanny abused the child and a result was a head injury and death?? Maybe it wasn’t a seizure at all but foul play?
The Travolta’s made the right choice in not being public, the world is a cruel place and more so when they’re child has died. There is nothing to be gained upon speculation, there is so much more to focus on of things we know to be facts.
I support this family, and offer my great saddness that their child has passed on. Deaths do occur when a child has autism. Often they drown, they get lost in the woods, and no one is so mean towards those parents about prevention of that death.
No matter what any body says it will not bring this child back.Or change things for this family, as a mother of a 13 yr old austisic son all I can say is leave them alone!
No body truly knows what they did it there private lives nore should we.My thought and prays go out too them .
My grandson has autism. There is no treatment for it! So how can you accuse the Travolta family of anything connected to autism. Please! Let this family have some normal time to grieve! Back off!
Disgusting is what it is when someone actually talks like they know something about a person they have never met. There is NO reason for some reporter or anyone else to assume the boy had autism, for which there is NO definitive treatment and NO cure and NO meds; last I checked we call that “making stuff up.” For people to sit back and talk about what this family “could” have “done” for autism (meaning for them) is selfish and revolting; you don’t have a right to expect or demand anything at all from anyone - this family owed you NOTHING. Mind your business, judge the person in the mirror, and hope you don’t ever see the inside of an ambulance for any reason. The self-righteous can never wait to put others down to make themselves feel even more self-righteous; those on this board pretending to feel sorry the boy is gone while accusing his parents of any wrong doing should be ashamed of themselves. Talk about denial! Try looking at your own denial of basic manners! If you feel anything other than sadness over this, if anything, get yourself some help.
Oh and for the record, Lisa Jo Rudy? No, I don’t have an opinion on the tragic death of Jett Travolta - why on earth would I? I didn’t even know Jett Travolta. But I do have an opinion about your writing - it’s called gossiping.
Sandy: re Jehovah witness…and if your child needed a blood transfusion and you refused resulting in a childs death you would be to blame ..Religion is a right for people but for a minor ,it shouldnt be .They have a right to live and chose religion for themselves .if Jett was taken off seizure meds and not treated for Autism due to religious beliefs..they should be judged.
I said I was brought up a Jehovah Witness, I did not say I practice that as an adult however, for many reasons people these days refuse blood transfusions with good reason. Many people had had bad things from transfusions and who is to blame for that?
No one should be judge, we have no right to judge
What is clear is that he did not die from untreated autism. Whether or not he had autism, he was being treated for seizures. It is nobody’s business. It is just like the autism community to jump on the bandwagon, and start yelling that Jett was untreated. None of your business. Take care of your own kids.
How is it “nobody’s business” when the family has been on TV discussing it themselves for years? This idol worship is nonsense, if the family wasn’t treating severe seizures they are to be faulted. Plain and simple.
It isn’t about “idol worship”. It’s about common decency. How many people, including Lisa Jo Rudy, would like to open up a web page after the death of their child/family member/friend and read that someone is hosting a discussion titled “do you have an opinion on the tragic death of said child?” and see a bunch of people speaking out of their arse about your loved ones?
If his son did not recieve prper treatment becuase of his crazy religion it is sipmly MURDER Plain and simple. All scientologist are crazy! I hope he ends up in jail. I also hope suri cruise doesn’t need medicine
buh bye. So many actor I used to love I found out they were in that crazy cult I lost all respect. So sad this child had to suffer because his parents are in a CULT. Hey maybe the Aliens can bring him back to you John you sick bastard!
This poor child died because his parents valued their association with a CULT more than they valued the health of their own flesh and blood. There is NO EXCUSE for leaving a child who has grand mal seizures every four days alone for even a SECOND. Baby monitors and chimes and “mannies” in the next room do NOT cut it.
This child was not on any seizure medication when he died, even though there are dozens of seizure medications available, and surely one or a combination of two or more could have solved his problem–if the allegations that the DEPAKOTE he was on had stopped working are even true (first they said it bothered his liver–very rare side effect–and then they said it stopped working–which is it?).
If these parents weren’t famous, they’d have been charged with child abuse and neglect YEARS ago. Jett Travolta was an autistic child, a poor little rich boy, who was left alone for as many as ten hours at a time, who died alone on a bathroom floor while no one knew or cared.
All of these nonsensical stories about how “he wasn’t left alone that long” and “his father may have held him when he died” is flat out BULL. The kid died alone in the prison of his own body, and medication and therapy could have made, but didn’t make, his life more bearable and even worthwhile.
That poor child was THROWN AWAY. These crocodile tears are simply unbelievable. The Travoltas said in June they wanted a new baby. Is that when they decided to take the Big Fat Autistic Problem Child off his medications? Inquiring and disgusted minds want to know. I hope the media stays on this–a crime happened to a developmentally disabled child, and just because those people are rich they should not be allowed to get away with it.
I never heard that this child had autism, but I saw a picture today which sharply reminded me of my son, who does have autism. “Untreated autism” is a nonsense phrase. Kids with autism get education, not treatment. There may be some cures, but not in the world in which my son and I live. I am so sorry to hear that the Travoltas have lost their son. To imply that their commitment to Scientology is somehow responsible for his continuing disability is extremely irresponsible. Autism is a lifelong condition with which a family learns to live and cope. There is no magic pill or therapy to make it all go away.
Parents often find alternative than main stream medicine, and this community should best to understand that than any. No, these parents would not had been charged and if that was the case, then Ms. McCarthy should also be charged and in jail. She actually took her sons seizure medicine and then decided to stop giving it to her child. It’s not only illegal to ingest medicine not prescribed to you, it’s out right dangerous. Best beware of judging lest you can accept it when other’s also judge you.
If one is going to be judgemental of one, you then need to be judgemental of them all.
I have been reading about L.Ron Hubbard and Scientology,just to find out what it is all about.Strangely enough L.Ron Hubbards own son died a mysterious death,after he refuzed to be groomed as his fathers replacement.I have also heard,how they view people with mental,or neurological disorders,as less than human.It sounds like something out of a science finction novel.Something about aliens.I can`t make heads or tails out of it. I do belie they were ashamed of that boy,and no longer wanted him.I always was a fan of John Travolta,but Now,I can`t in good concious,be a fan any longer.This crazy cult,needs to be brought down.Mind controlling cult.
As a mother of an autistic son, it is MY DECISION what is the right treatment for autism. The boy was obviously loved and cared for, a tragic accident, how crappy that anyone judge the parents like that in a time like this.
The pain that Kelly Preston and her husband are going through is nothing compared to the long-time guilt and suffering they will carry to their graves because the public now understands their neglect and lies. How sad for Jett Travolta that his parents couldn’t love him as an autistic child. We have an autistic granddaughter and she’s the joy of our lives.
I first wanted to say my prayers and thoughts are with this family, as the death of a child no matter the cause is tragic and sad. As far as the people who say that there is no “treatment” of autism, especially people who have families who are dealing with children on the autism spectrum-I hope that I can give you something that apparently others have not…hope.
My daughter was diagnosed at 2 1/2. She is now a “normal” 6 year old child who plays sports, goes to kindergarten in a normal classroom, speaks normally(was completely non verbal until 3 1/2), takes dance classes, has friends, and is in her peer range on everything from physical to social skills. The schools and therapists and doctors have all been astounded at her amazing progress.
I was once one of “you” that didn’t see hope (although I wanted desperately to beleive something other than the future we were presented with from the docs). However one day through my work, I met a father who overheard me talking about my child and he told me I should talk to his wife as she had done “alternatives” and introduced me to his “autistic child” who was then 18 yrs old, headed off on a senior trip with her classmates, one of the “popular girls”, played soccer at a private school, top of her class, about to go away to college on a scholarship, and was bummed because she was leaving her boyfriend. An absolute beautiful child who was in every respect “normal” (although I hate that word!). It took SEEINg and HEARINg from someone who actually had helped their child that way to make me believe anything other than the horrible future the docs had left me with. I went home and that day changed my daughters diet without any expectations. And to my amazement my non-verbal, aggresive, self injurous, hand flapping and bouncing child, who would only eat three things-became a speaking, eye contact making, laughing happy child once again. And one that continued everyday to ge better.
I understand that things such as diet do not help every child-however I feel as a parent we do have a responsibility to TRY everything we can to help our kiddos. If it’s diet or hyperbaric therapies or ABA or PT or OT or Floor Time or Speech or Pecs or videos or whatever it is WE as their guardians and loved ones should try. And whatever our religous beliefs are, there are options that can and should be tried. Treating autism does neccessarily mean drugging our kids, in fact most of these things do not involved drugs at all. (I am not judging every case or child as all are different -hence the term spectrum-and some may need drugs for certain thinsg such as seizures or destructive behaviors or whatever).
I don’t know if I consider myself part of the autism community but I think most of us are just frustrated at the idea of people telling us that our kids can’t be helped or will never live normal lives, that they don’t know the cause but will dismiss ideas without researching the possibilities, and that if you are passionate that you are of course just one of those “crazies”. So from someone who is fighting for my child, I do get angry at those who don’t work to help their kids (i do not know what the Travolta’s did or did not do) because I believe every one of these kids deserves that. And I do think it’s a sad thing that any religion would not even acknowledge autism as it is a way of sorting through “certain kind of people”…in my religion we are taught about children as God’s gift and perfect. And if there are parents who beleive that keeping their kids medical stuff is a private issue-that’s fine BUT this was not the case. They had openly talked about KS.
Me personally, i’ll scream it from the roof tops-I am not ashamed of my child and never was (even in the heat of a full blown breakdown!). In my eyes I was prouder of her because I understood the challanges she faced and how hard every little thing was for her. She truly was a little miracle, and I am proud to tell everyone how amazing she was then and now and will continue to do so! I share our story because I hope it can help others. To me that is a responsibility-a social responsibility to our world. The more people we have talking about this, the more compassion, understanding, education, help, research, early diagnosis, assistance, therapies, and most imprtantly hope for families going through this very difficult road to navigate.
P.S. Autistic or not-it sounds like this child died fom a seizure. That can happen whether or not they have a dignosis, treatment, or whatever religious belief. I’m very sorry for their loss and for others who have children who face this everyday. God Bless all the Travolta’s and all of the families facing either of these disorders/diseases/syndromes.
Nobody doubts the Travoltas loved their son very much. If, however, it’s true that Jett was denied the proper treatments for both Kawasaki syndrome and/or autism due to the family’s belief in the “religion” (and I use the term very loosely and with some sarcasm) of Scientology, it is absolutely criminal.
A truly loving father would do anything necessary to help their child, not just follow some nutjobs delusions of auditing and vitamins.
Despite the fact that America IS an over medicated country, there are some things which REQUIRE medication. No 30 year dead, paranoid schizophrenic, delusional sci-fi writer has the right or authority to tell anyone otherwise!
Well, even if he had autism that was untreated, he wouldn’t die from it! He would just be a social nuisance… my son has autism and he isn’t going to die if we stop going to music, speech, occupational therapy, etc.
He died from a blunt blow to the head from falling due to a seizure. Geez…. this is a lame story because I am IN the autism community and NO ONE thinks the way this article portrays… it makes us “autism” parents sound like @-holes!
autism treated or untreated, sick or healthy, no parent deserves to lose a child. I recently lost my 17 year old in a horrific car accident and wish that loss on no-one. I pray that the beliefs of the Travolta family see them thru this aweful slap in the face
What differnence does it make if he had autism or not. Everything they prescribe for autism is experimental and our children are used as Guinea pigs for research. The children suffer the side effects and the doctors make notes. The children are left to deal with the side effects of powerful drugs that do more damage than good. My understanding is he was treated for the seizures and in my opinion that would be the best scenario. They learn to deal with the disabilities if left off meds. The meds cause an array of additional problems and they are ever changing the meds on a let’s see if this works basis. It appears to me that Jett lived an exceptional life - leave these poor people alone. We all do the best we can given what we have to work with - which isn’t much considering none of it is substantiated.
it sounds like many of you think it’s YOUR job to tell ME what to put in MY kid. Who are YOU to tell ANYONE what poison they HAVE to put in their child? Hitler. Hitler is who you profess to be with your ‘put this medication in your child because I said so’. If i put a medication in my child because you say so and it kills him, do I get to take your childs life? No…you say too bad, oh that’s awful. $@*#@ YOU!!!! we are so close to the government taking over everything that it’s scary. People on here talking about putting the Travoltas on TRIAL??? wow…medicine is a risky business and NO ONE should have to inject a possible killer in their child. The comments on this site scare me deeply! I can see that many of you on here think it’s the “majority’s” job to tell parents how to raise their kids. You say ‘you HAVE to do this or the government should take your kids away’…back to Hitler. The government telling YOU what to do. Right or wrong, a parent HAS to be the child’s main decision maker until they are 18. I can see very clearly that many of you here think the government has the right and should use the power to take control of everything, starting with our kids. I feel so sad for this family. Let me ask you this: If his parents choices did in fact have anything to do with his death, do you think they should stand trial? I dont’ know ANYTHING about them, but I bet they were doing what THEY thought was best for thier child. even if it was the wrong thing. but it seems very clear that you put your kids life in someone else’s hands…and if they die, well, then you throw your hands up and absolve yourself of the blame…but it is YOU who killed them. YOU allowed them to push poison in them that has been PROVED to KILL some kids…but if Uncle Sam says do it, YOU DO IT…that’s you…not me…I may not agree with the Travota’s in the slightest with how they cared for their son but I give them the right to choose. It’s my right and responsibility to take care of my child not yours…and if I let you come in and kill him because YOU say ‘this stuff MAY protect them’ and he dies because of your vaccine…you throw your hands up and say ‘ahh…so sorry, maybe it was something else that did it’…even though the vaccine was the last thing to enter his bloodstream. In a truly FREE society, the parents HAVE to be given full care responsibilities…It’s THEM that has to live with the pain of losing their child. How long will YOU grieve for the Travolta’s…a week…a month…a day…? You have NO right what so ever to tell ME what I HAVE to do to my child…NO RIGHT WHAT SO EVER! These people lost someone they loved dearly…and many of you sit here and talk of investigations, allegations…the criminals are YOU…those of you who think YOU have a right to tell ME how to treat MY kid. and then you conveniently hide behind ‘we were just trying to help’ as my kid lies dead. You have no right. Leave these people alone and PRAY that the government doesn’t come and take your kids away because a bunch of people don’t like the way you do things…you can’t even fathom that can you? because you just can’t imagine anyone doing as good of a job as you. Those of you who are tearing the Travolta’s down will be the ones voting to take kids away from parents who love their kids so much that they would stand agaisnt a government trying to control EVERYTHING. You are horrible…but the difference between you and me is I believe you have the right to be horrible…but you should stay out of my house because I’ll kill to protect MY family from scum like you…”but we were just trying to help…we’re so sorry your kid died…but it’s what we all do and we HAD to force YOU to do it too…” horrible…hitler…do as your are told or die, or we’ll take your kids, or we’ll take your house…sounds good in your heart doesn’t it…! puke. I feel so bad for them…i don’t agree with scientology at all…but it’s their choice…not YOURS. You take care of yours and I’ll take care of mine…but that’s not how you want it is it? You want control…”what’s the best scientfic way to handle this?”…get out of my house!! If my kid dies because I didn’t vaccinate them then I have to live with that…if they die because I DID vaccinate them, then I have to live with that…interesting I didn’t mention YOU. Once you start forcing parents to vaccinate their kids then we are short steps away from total government control. and because of people like YOU we are almost there. You can tell this, because some of you on here think in your hearts that the Travolta’s should go on trial for ‘killing’ their son. You are the worst of all kinds…those ‘believing they are helping…but show it be destroying”. not a word of this will get through your thick heads. waste of my time. come to my house and try and take mine, they’ll read about you. I feel personally threatened by your need to control my family.
Moonbeam…THANK YOU…I rant and raved because I am so tired of hearing people tell other parents what’s best for THEIR kids. I’ll leave it at that…Moonbeams comment was right on point. I’m so upset I coudln’t stop typing.
First of all, it is obvious that the Travoltas loved their child Jett. This is beyond question.
However, their religion, Scientology, does not recognize autism and forbids the use of drugs to treat seizures. Like too many people from all kinds of religions, they also loved their religion to the point that they harmed themselves or someone they loved.
Other various religions forbid blood transfusions, demand that the genitals of male and female children be mutilated, and that gay children be outcast. Some religions, as we know, demand martyrdom.
We should not make excuses for people who do harm because of their religion; they should care more about real lives and real people.
And they should not inflict their beliefs on others including their children who are not yet old enough to decide for themselves whether they want to die for a belief system.
Higher and Deeper and all of you others who feel just like this person, let me ask you this…IF they had injected or made him ingest one of these miracle drugs you all seem so sure of would have saved his life and this injection killed him…who is to blame.?? no one right…it’s your magic bullet…you sure way out…you don’t care a bit for them…you only care about people living their life the way YOU think they should. you’re all cowards waiting to jump in with mob mentality…if you can get enough of you together you could control the world. Calling them criminals because they chose a different route for treating their son…what if the medication you speak of would have killed their son? You still don’t care cuz it isn’t YOUR son…but don’t get me wrong, I believe very much that if you were in that same position you would have injected him and if he’d died you would have thrown your weak hands up and said “i did what I could”…no you didn’t…you did what you were told by many of the people on this site. No matter who YOU blame it’s YOUR fault…would you rather your kid die because of YOUR decision or because of someone else’s decision…? you seeming very much like a coward with your ideas would probably LOVE the excuse of ‘oh, i was just doing as I was told, it’s not my job to protect my kid, it’s my job to obey’…well that you will…in MY rigth to free speech I think that all parents whose kids died from getting vaccinated should be charged with accomplice to murder and the doctor 3rd degree murder…he/she KNEW it COULD kill them…but hey…it’s all about Merk right…Higher and Deeper, you sound very proud of yourself…I on the other hand think I should keep out of your family because my decision could end one of their lives and I, other than YOU, would not want that on my mind…you choose for your and I’ll choose for mine…I’m the one who has to live with it in the end anyway…why would I listen to you anyway…oh…most likely because you’re the type to take kids from loving families because they just don’t do things the way “WE” all do…think about what you are saying…I think scientology IS a cult…but people can say that exact same thing about ANY religion…I don’t agree with their beliefs but I believe firmly that they had the right to handle their son’s supposed illness the best way THEY saw fit…NOT YOU…NOT YOU…NOT YOU…but that doesn’t even compute does it Higher…? it’s ALL about you…how YOU think it should be done…how YOU think I should raise my kids…I’ll raise mine…just for the record…when I received my first scheduled MMR vaccination, that night my temp went to 107, I went into convulsions (NEVER BEFORE!!!) and the medics had to put me in a bath of ice to get my temp down…the doctor told my mom that the shot could have in NO WAY affected me that way, “it must have been something you gave him”…HE PUT THE BLAME ON HER!!!!!!…interestingly, recently when asked if I’d ever had a reaction from a vaccine, while at the pediatrician for my son, I said ‘yes, after the MMR, I got a fever of 107 and went into convulsions”…she said to my face with a smirk…and I QUOTE her here…”well, we’ll just say you had a fever”…that was 3 months ago…my shot was over 40 years ago…the mentality has NOT changed AT ALL…the problems these vaccines cause are down played, covered up and lied about…but what could you possibly expect from a mulit BILLION $$$$ business…they have some of you so fooled that you’d put families on trial for just TRYING to PROTECT their kids from this…but probably means nothing to someone who wouldn’t even take the blame if they WATCHED a vaccine kill their kid…you’d push it off…’it wasn’t me…I’m just doing what I was told’…terrible. and here you sit judging them as criminals…who are YOU…what do YOU know about that family??? I have to leave, this is a sad day in my life to see so many people wanting to come in and take kids away from loving families because that family is a little “out there”…right or wrong, they chose…now THEY have to live with it…not YOU…you’re life goes untouched. so too, should you…go on…untouched.
Gary D…you sit there and say Jett’s parents had no right inflict their beliefs on him…???? but you would inflict YOURS on your kids…how many kids say “yes, vaccinate me”?…NONE…they get them while they can’t talk…we ALL “inflict” our beliefs on our kids…it’s their job to make that decision for themselves when they reach that point in life…and for everyone, it’s a different time…but to say no parent has a right to raise their kids in what THEY believe is SCARY!!!!! wow…you have some scary people on this site…until a kid is OF AGE it’s the parent’s job to keep them safe…as they know best…it could possibly kill a child…but so do vaccines and abortions…but you probably vote for those don’t you! interesting preaching coming from someone who says they don’t think parents should interfere with their kids lives. Does anyone see how insane this is…now people are saying parents don’t have the right to raise their own kids…that all kids should some how be raised on an island being untouched by other’s points of view…it’s the PARENT’S job to raise the kid, right or wrong…if not, then just get the Hilter Youth going again in YOUR name! crazy…you are CRAZY…and the sad thing is, is you want to run the show…”do it THIS way or GO TO JAIL”…sound at all controlling to you???
We all grieve the loss of Jett and the family needs time to process all of this. Just taking one look at a video of Jett sure looks like autism to me. A medical diagnosis must be made of course, but don’t the extended friends and family members seem to be telling the truth. Our son is 26 and severely autistic. It is hard to accept. It takes courage. I pray for courage and strength for the Travolta’s. I am a Christian, and I don’t think that we should put down anyone’s religion, no matter what we think about it. Let’s hope that more and more awareness of autism changes our viewpoint and removes the stigmas that still hurt all of us in the autism community.
There are some topics that just set me back and wonder how in the world I could be part of such an uncompassionate set of people even though we’re suppose to be walking the same path. Reading many of these comments, if Jett ever had autism, it’s a wonder why any one would want to join ‘us’, or let the world know their child has autism. It takes one daring person to walk into this group of people and you’d have to be desperate for some sort of help to ever expect any help at all during life crisis or life sadness.
I do not plan to come to this topic thread again. The language is harsh, there is no compassion at all or understanding. There is nothing but blame, which is what we’re good at, right?
MeanGirl I am very sorry for your son’s death.
Ok- Autism and seizures go hand and hand 1/2 the time. It is a well documented fact. Did the Travoltas give there sweet child lifesaving anti seizure medicine when they knew he had many seizures and he could die of it ? I am sure we will never know — as the rich are able to make bad things disappear. Should I not care when I hear of a child dying from suspected medical neglect ? NO !
“The autism “community” is upset and speculating Jett was “untreated” because of his father”? This is an ignorant statement made about people with autism. People with autism and their families are well aware that autism is not a disease! If a child or adult has other sypmtoms or disorders associated with people with autism (such as a seizure disorder or epilepsy) then those disorders can be treated and if they are left untreated, bad things can and do happen. I am disgusted that Lisa Jo Rudy could write such unfounded statements without doing the true research. This is a terrible time to make such a uneducated, invalid statement. My heart goes out to the entire Travolta family and anyone who has ever known the loss of a child.
Who could have been a better doctor, teacher, friend and parent for this child of God? May the angels surround Jett family.
maybe scientology caused his death, maybe not, only the family will know for sure and if it was they paid the price with his life
rest in peace Jett and leave the family alone…….
If Jett Travolta was autistic and his parents failed to get him the best possible treatment, then shame on them. No religion or belief should ever deter parents from seeking the necessary help that their children require. I am a mother of a 13 year old son with autism. My son has seizures, and is currently on medication to control them. I would do anything and everything possible to see to my son’s safety. Autism is not something to be ashamed of. It’s not a dirty little secret that needs to be hidden away. Society as a whole needs to be educated about this health issue that affects 1 in every 150 children born today. We need to work toward understanding autism and hopefully finding a cure for it someday. My prayers go out to the Travolta family.
questions worth asking. Did this child ever go to school or have therapy other than that of his Nanny? Was his Nanny qualified to handle seizures. Why wasn’t he on medication? There are dozens of seizure medications if one didn’t work way back when. He would most likely be alive today had he been treated.
Questions Worth Asking:
What have *I* done today that needs fixing? What can *I* do to better myself? What wrongs have *I* committed, since no one is immune? How might *I* better learn to live in my glass house? How might *I* become better equipped to pay attention to my own life and to judging myself? What do *I* know of a person I’ve never met in my whole life and at best have watched on a two-minute video, much less what his doctor was prescribing for him and why? How might *I* learn to not talk about things I’m not in any way qualified to talk about as if I know something? How could *my* religion, philosophy, or other belief system be judged by an outsider who doesn’t believe what I believe? How might *I* solve the problem of the absolute cruelty of strangers who, invested with their own problems, emotions, and lack of knowledge, are merely mean people.
Its a great loss for the great actor family as his only son died at a very early age. Pray for the family.
my heart goes out to mr. travolta and his wife. i have an 11 yr. old son, if i lost him my world would cease to exist.
crack-pots,scientology,aliens,thawed out in an volcano,thetans and some kinda device that measures them,WTF?it astounds me that people beleive in this crap,i am an atheist and have never been happier,when i can step back and look at religion without an distorted veiw,man,you learn that most are based on crack-pot ideas,come-on people wise up,use your brains,and really think about what you believe,do you believe in god just because your afraid of death?or because it makes you feel good?jesus said and i quote”a camel would have a better chance of walking through the eye of an needle,than a rich man has reaching the kingdom of god,so,jesus means that all rich christians,no matter how faithfull can’t get in,hmmmmmm,that’s great that means all these rich preacher’s and politicians,celeb’s,won’t be there huh!if anybody has a good arguement for religion(and i’ve never had or been in one)lay it on me,other than that,i’ve had a great life and i know when i die i return to the earth,that’s it people,game over!
I have a son with autism and ADHD. I knew something wasn’t right when he was 12 months old. He could not say simple words, he screamed at loud noises and he lined up his toys and would have a fit about anyone touching them. I talked to the doctors about it at every health check. So when he couldn’t even tell them what a dog was they started early intervention. My son has speech therapy and other things like taking classes for three hours a day to get the help that he needs. He goes to a school for autistic children and he is learning from leaps and bound. His favorite subjects are history and science. Math is going to be a challenge though. My biggest fear is finding him in the bathtub or in bed asleep and can’t wake up. He doesn’t have seizures yet, but I know that there might be a time where one may occur. My heart goes out the Travolta’s. And to the people out there who are critizing, if you don’t have a child with autism or know a family with a child who has this disorder then you need to just shut up and sit down. There is not really a medicine that you can give a child with autism unless they have seizures or behavioral problems. Other than that all that you can really do is start the child on an early intervention plan and there are programs that can help you get and find the resources that you need. I found them and it has been a godsend. Also I have a supportive family who helps me too.
After having worked with children with severe Autism for 3 years, I can tell you that some of the seizures I saw were horrific. I can absolutely see how Jett could have died as a result of having one. You can’t cure Autism. Could he have had a better chance at learning better coping skills, educational skills, etc. if properly diagnosed? Yes. Could they have prevented his death? No.
I don’t know if Jett was autistic but if he was and was denied treatment due to scientology practices, then the word neglect comes to mind. I have a 17 year old daughter and I don’t need to hold her hand or buckle her into a car when we go out so it seems obvious Jett has some type of mental disorder going on. I have read that autism itself doesn’t cause seizures but increases the likelihood of life-threatening seizures. I am sorry that the Travoltas have lost their child. I can’t even imagine the grief they must be feeling but at the same time, I think of the amount of money they have and the fact that they could have afforded any type of treatment(s) available for their son. Most families have to struggle just to purchase one prescription medication let alone pay for all the therapies too. Wow, what a shame.
I am a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum. With intense schooling and Discrete Trial Learning and Applied Behavior Analysis she went from a Non-Verbal Child to a very verbal child with the intense interventions.I firmly believe and parent that denies their child these service are doing these children no justice. They are also setting them up for failure.I also have the pleasures of working with children on the Autism Spectrum. I enjoy working with these bright but socially challenged children. In the five years that I have worked in the field. The statement lies true “You see one child with Autism” You see one child with Autism..No two children are alike and they are special in their own way!!!They also can be a productive person in Society with the right interventions what ever that may be for the child with the disorder. It might be that the child needs PT,OT,S.L.P.,ABA,DTL,Floortime,RDI,these children can benefit from all of this. My daughter is not “CURED” but she has become very successful with these interventions,and with the proper people in place for these children (GREAT I.E.P PLANS AND SERVICES THESE CHILDREN CAN EXCELL IN SOCIETY) ALL CHILDREN WITH AUTISM ARE SPECIAL IN THEIR OWN WAY..THEY ARE OFTEN JUDGED BECAUSE OF THEIR ACTIONS. I HAD ONE PERSON COME UP TO ME IN A STORE AND TOLD ME WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS HAVING A “MELTDOWN” THAT IT WAS BAD BEHAVIOR AND POOR PARENTING ON MY PART..I TOLD THEM NO IT WAS AUTISM…AND THAT SOCIETY NEED TO WISEN UP TO IT BECAUSE THERE IS ALOT OF CHILDREN BEING DIAGNOSED WITH IT.. WE IN SOCIETY NEED TO LEARN ALOT MORE ABOUT AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER SO THAT WE CAN BE SOCIALLY TOLERANT OF THESE CHILDREN…THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY…
It does not mater if jet had Autism, his Family loved and Lost him, and my Heart goes out to them.
I am the parent of a 29 year old Son with aspergers syndrome, a form of Autism. I have successfully raised my Son to be a high functioning Adult on my own.
The Doctors and therapist were no help at all, if anything they made things much worse, and I have found that Anti depression medication is the worst, and believe me we tried several. I weaned my son off years ago and have had great success. Only a Parent knows their Child and will always be their best caregiver and Teacher.
autism didn’t kill him and anti-seizure medication may have saved him, If it was a religious choice not to have him on it, then that is something his parents will have to live with. once asked whom I would really like to meet I said John Travolta and this would still be true, he is a genuine person and my prayers are with him, Kelly and Ella. May GOD give them the strength to get through this.
My heart goes out to the Travolta family. It is crystal clear and John and Kelly love their children unconditionally. However, I am bothered because they seem to have given up when Depakote didn’t work. Phenytoin, Lamictal, phenobarbitol and Dilantin are only a few anti-seizure medications. I grew up with a sister with a seizure disorder so I have witnessed hundreds of grand mal seizures. She lived to be 56 no doubt because her anti-seizure medications were adjusted on a regular basis. A seizure didn’t kill her but a stroke did. Jett should have lived to at least 56 and probably could have if he had gotten the correct help.
Terri Mauro has a post you all should read: http://specialchildren.about.com/b/2009/01/07/what-people-think-they-know-about-jett-travolta.htm
I’ve got to say, I find this post really disturbing. “Do you have an opinion regarding the tragic death of Jett Travolta?
Are you kidding me? Would you like for somebody to solicit opinions on the death of your child?
And isn’t it ironic, that a community that is pretty darn sensitive about how their disability is treated in the public (the autism community) just can’t wait to heap on the armchair analysis.
You’ve got people on this thread claiming that Kawasaki Syndrome is made up–an allegation frequently lobbed at the autism community (and oh, the fury when that happens–Denis Leary anyone?) What a bunch of hypocrites.
For the record, I don’t have a child with autism. My sister, however, had epilepsy from age 16-20. When she was 20, and while being treated with anti-seizure medication she had a seizure and fell into a position where her airway was obstructed. She went into respiratory and then cardiac arrest. Her seizures were well controlled with medication, but even under treatment seizures still happen. Shortly after she died, Florence Griffith Joyner, who also had a seizure disorder died while in bed–laying next to her husband–when she had a seizure and rolled over onto her face, also obstructing the airway. Seizures, whether they are treated or not can be unpredictable and have tragic consequences well beyond the immaculate planning of any caregiver.
It is the seizure connection that has piqued my interest in Jett Travolta’s death and it has been reported widely that he was treated for years with Depakote, that it had stopped being effective recently and he was having as many seizures on the medication as off. He was suffering liver problems due to the length of time he had been on Depakote. His parents and his doctor took him off the medication. What would you do? Put your kid into liver failure for an ineffective drug?
So, my opinion on the tragic death of Jett Travolta? Mind your own business. Try not to be so desperate for another celebrity poster child that flush your humanity down the toilet.
Okay, folks, here’s the thing. The story of Jett Travolta has been front page news around the world. Papparazzi have been following his parents around for days. In fact, no one in America has been able to avoid seeing the story or hearing commentary pro and con.
I really don’t think that mentioning this story on an autism site and asking for comments is going beyond what makes sense or is reasonable. Were I to avoid the story, I would be pretending that Jett Travolta didn’t matter. IMHO, he did - and does.
Lisa (autism guide)
“austism” –that is a really pathetic rationalization for a really insensitive post. You didn’t ask for “comments” you asked people for their opinions on the death of someone else’s child.
Your post presumes that Jett Travolta had autism, which his parents claim he did not. Isn’t it just possible that he didn’t? Isn’t is just possible that they were telling the truth? Isn’t it just possible that they loved their son enough not to lie about who he was? Don’t they, at this moment of all times, deserve at least the benefit of the doubt?
Even if he did have autism, that’s not what killed him. A seizure did that, and for his seizure disorder he was under a doctor’s care — a point you don’t bother to distinguish.
But the bottom line is this, you chose to further exploit this story–to play up the “untreated, unacknowledged autism/nasty, bad Scientologist”-angle, to give forum to people who are all to ready to diagnose somebody else’s kid but would flip if somebody did it to their family. You chose to solicit opinions on the death of someone else’s child. You could have framed the discussion in any way you wanted, that’s your right and your responsibility as the poster. This is the choice you made.
You did not demonstrate that Jett Travolta mattered, you demonstrated that you and a depressing chunk of your community have no class.
No, Jennifer, I did NOT say that Jett Travolta had autism. I have no idea whether he had autism. I don’t know whether scientology had an impact on the medical treatment he received.
In fact, if you re-read what I wrote, you will see that I expressed no opinion at all. I simply noted that there has been speculation, and that people have strong feelings about this issue.
As I said, this is a very, very public subject. Images and video are all over the media.
This blog invites people like yourself to comment on what is being said. You, like many others, have in fact expressed your opinion. Some people have expressed nothing but sympathy. Others have stronger opinions.
The reality is that this topic is news - and it is news of interest to the autism community. You can be angry at me for mentioning it, but compared to CNN, ABC, and all the other stations that are carrying major stories on this topic, I’m a drop in the bucket.
Lisa (autism guide)
The boy’s death was the news; the speculation, based on no factual anything, is what’s disgusting, and you jumped right on the bandwagon and solicited more. You did not report “news.” But you are right … others are doing it too.
I guess that means if some total strangers jump off a bridge, you’re next. In this case, you helped to drag someone else’s reputation with you and that’s why it’s wrong. But it happens and I can see why you wrote what you did.
But please don’t suggest for one second that you did it because somehow Jett Travolta “mattered,” because that’s just ridiculous. Yes, he mattered. He deserved better, even from a gossiping stranger, like yourself.
And the part where it’s of interest to the autism community?
They should all mind their business too.
Jetts father should be commended for his scientology beliefs. If Jett had any autism symptoms, the way his dad and mom have been raising him is better than turning him over to psychiatrists and psychotrophic meds. So sorry for these lovely people–send them only love, compassion
I didnt know that we were all so perfect! I have three boys with Autism at different points on the spectrum. I always believed that as we shared a common bond parenthood, but most importantly a child or children with autism,that we understood what it was like to care, nuture, cry, laugh, sing but most importantly love our children for who they are. We preach this everyday as we try to convert others to the same understanding. Jett was part of a family, and I am sure he was loved, you can see it in the photos, and nobody has the right to condemn anybody for loving another. If we can not accept everybody for who and what they are, how in the world do we expect the world to accept our children for who they are. We need to model what we preach.
Jett, I am sure you are in the best of places and are loved as much as Mom, Dad and your sister loved you. R.I.P. young man…
Autism doesn’t need to be treated. It needs to be accepted. You don’t die from ‘untreated’ autism. And you can’t get rid of or fix it.
The brain of an autistic person is different from a non-autistic person. How can this be fixed? It can’t. Enjoy what the person is and quit trying to change, fix or heal it.
Google Frank Klien to understand autism.
Is it safe to speculate that the child died from a seizure…yes
Is it safe to assume he was autistic…yes
Is it common for children with autism to have seziure disorders…yes
Is it safe to assume he was not taking meds for seziures…yes
Is it safe to assume he was not on meds because of his parents beliefs…yep
If the parents can’t protect their own children who will? This kid died of medical neglect and the denial that he needed treatment by his parents who even denied he had autism….come on!
Roxy,
Roxy thank you, Frank Klein sums it up beautifully. My boys life journey is with Autism. Autism is not the whole encompassing part of my children. Autism is not their personality. I wouldn’t, I mean couldn’t imagine my boys any different to who they are. If I did I would change them and they would not be my boys. It is not only our job to help, teach and provide them with the tools they need on their life journey, just like our parents did for us, but also to teach the world about our beautiful children. But critizing, blaming and being judgemental of others dosent do that. I was always taught that if someone had a problem with you that they really had a problem with themselves. So maybe we need to stop trying to change others and change ourselves, because only by changing yourself does true change happen. Love them for who they are not what you want them to be. Because trust me maybe having three taught me that, even the child with Aspergers, who is now 16 and doing great, will one day be 25 and doing great and still have Aspergers. Everyday we may add a tool to his life tool box but we now know as his parents, that he will need a larger tool box than most. But Aspergers and Autism, that is part of who they are, we embrace it, we enjoy it, and we take the journey with them, because one day it could all be gone!
Just a tragic loss. My prayers are with the family.
I do however believe that Jett was autistic.
I think his parents just didn’t want to admit that their child was not perfect. Jett is in a better place now”in heaven”.
I feel for the Travolta family. I have an autistic daughter, I have Asperger’s Syndrome and so does my father. Parents of special needs kids go many extra miles for their kids and are subject to criticism no matter which paths they choose. We need to be considerate, as much as is understood about autism there is so much more to learn (for all of us!) Diagnosed with autism or not, I wish Jett were still here and that his parents had not lost a son and his sister a brother.
It is out of line for people to criticize the way John and Kelly raised their son. Their son felt loved and that is what matters most. Would he have been any happier with therapy? Maybe so and maybe not, but that is not our decision to make.
I have a son who is 5 years old and was diagnosed with autism last year. That being said, I was shocked to hear of the death of Jett Travolta and surprised to learn that he may have had autism and that this was suspected for years. I think that his parents loved him very much, but may have denied that he had autism due to their religious beliefs, which is their choice.
However, I did some research and found that they said Jett had Kowasaki’s disease which is very rare and everything that I have read does not support their claim that it caused him to have seizures. John Travolta’s brother even produced a show about autism and has been reported as saying that he thought Jett had this disorder. Also, it was mentioned that Jett was very sensitive to smells and the flowers for the funeral were chosen because they were ones that he could tolerate.
So, yes, everyone is talking and speculating that the Travoltas may have covered up the fact that their son had autism. Does this change the fact that they loved him? No, it doesn’t. Could they have prevented his death? We may never know if treatment would have prevented this tragedy, or if this would have happened anyway.
My thoughts on this, however, are just that–my own opinion only. I would hope that the practice of scientology would not have a parent choose not to medicate their child just because they do not believe in mental disorders and/or hide them away from society to avoid acknowledging them. But, I admit I do not know much about scientology…
WOW cant anyone go on with out trying to make something out of others grief? Leave these folks alone! These are not the type of people who would neglect thier children They would go to the end of the earth to care for them!
How can anyone pass judgement by guessing as to what might have happened..Leave these people alone!!!!
I can’t believe the number of people who believe that autism is a disease that can be treated by medicine. Do you think that there is a magic pill that would have woken Jett up? Many believe that there is a “test” for autism that can prove its existance. People believed that his autism would be proved in the autopsy.
Too many of you believe that there are “therapists ” that can cure autism. There wasn’t much that could be done for Jett, and why are you criticizing the family? Don’t you think that they did the best that they could for their son?
Why do you choose to believe “therapists’ and snake oil salesmen that say that they can cure autism?
Basically people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Thomas Jefferson and Isaac Newton are have autisic characteristics. There is a thin line betweeb genius and madman.
I noticed John Travolta’s friend & fellow Scientologist, Tom Cruise on The View last week expressing his sorrow at Jett’s sad, unfortunate death.
Too bad he had to be part of that awful movie Tropic Thunder in which a mentally challenged character is made much fun of. Wonder what his buddy John thought of that…..
As the mother of a boy with autism, and a psychiatric nurse who works daily with people who have developmental disabilities, I find this entire blog post extremely disturbing and downright wrong. The author makes it sound as though the “untreated autism” could be cleared up with a magic pill; there is no medication in production at this time to target autism. An autistic person may be prescribed a medication to deal with some of the “symptoms”, or accompanying problems associated with autism, such as seizure activity, anxiety, explosive aggressive episodes. The key here is what some others have pointed out; HE DIED OF A SEIZURE…you don’t DIE of autism. End of story. Whether the Travolta’s had thier son on medications or not may also be irrevelant. I have never in my 12 year nursing career encountered someone with epilepsy or a seizure disorder whose medication was 100% effective. He could have been on the best anti-seizure medication ever produced, and he may have had this one unfortunate breakthrough seizure. I’ve seen people on the best medications available who still have seizures on a regular basis. Also, it is common for someone prone to seizures to have them in the bathroom; a person can experience quite a change in blood pressure, etc. when stepping out of the cold into a steamy shower, etc. You are also surrounded by hard objects on which to hit your head if this happens; there isn’t usually any carpeting. In closing; they just lost their son, so show some respect. Thank you.
there is no effective treatment for autism, so whether jett travolta had it or not is immaterial.
leave these parents alone to grieve their loss.
I had the pleasure of meeting the Travolta family in Maine. They have a summer home on a smalll island. It was quite clear to me that Jett was not a normal little boy, but he was LOVED unconditionely by both his parents. Even if he had Autism, that’s not anyones business!!! Just leave these WONDERFUL people alone!! They are real people, they were not HOLLYWOOD in Maine, its a tragedy, and my prayers are with them.
I am glad to see that there are others that agree that this is child abuse/ neglect. I’m not sure what exactly the laws are, but I really think that these two should be charged with negligance, if not some sort of homicide.
I have a 16 year old nephew with autism and this is a medical condtion that CAN NOT BE IGNORED!!!! I took care of them for 4 months while my sister was very ill and I had to put in extra HOURS each day with him for daily routine, homework, counseling, DMR (Detartment of Mental Retardation, now, or soon will become the DDD, Dep’t of Developmental Disibilities.)
Their ignorance in my opinion breaks the law in so many ways. I agree, if these people weren’t famous, they would have been a 51a (child abuse) report filed. As a teacher, I am a mandatated reporter and I would have reported thier treatment of Jett in a heartbeat.
This is so unfortunate that the lack of proper care for this child may have led to his death.
Is this being investigated? I hope so!
As the mother of an autistic son who has seizures I feel deeply for the Travolta family. Every parent has to make medical decisions based upon what THEY feel is right for their child. A lot of it is based upon gut decision. The Travolta’s obviously loved their son. Leave YOUR judgements out of it unless you have walked in their shoes.