John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston are mourning the loss of their eldest child, 16 year-old Jett Travolta who died suddenly today. Jett, the couple's only son, died this morning while the Travolta family was vacationing at the Old Bahama Bay Resort in the Bahamas. The first reports of the cause of death say that Jett died of a seizure after he fell and hit his head in the bathtub.

According to reports, Jett was last seen going into the bathroom on Thursday. He was discovered unconscious late this morning by a resort caretaker. Attempts were made to revive Jett and he was taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.

 

 

Jett, who was named for his father's love of aviation and flying, had previously suffered seizures. While there were rumors Jett was autistic, the Travolta family always denied them. John Travolta and his wife blamed Jett's developmental disabilities and health problems on Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disorder of the artery walls that can lead to heart disease. Over 80 percent of Kawasaki sufferers are children under the age of 5. Children over the age of 8 are rarely affected. However, Travolta and Preston vehemently stood by the explanation of Kawasaki for Jett's health problems, despite the fact he was a teenager.

In one of Travolta's rare interviews about his son's health he explained to Larry King in 2001 that he believed his son's Kawasaki's was brought on by exposure to cleaning products. "With my son ... 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."

Jett was two when Travolta believes he contracted Kawasaki. According to the American Heart Association, the causes of Kawasaki disease are unknown and under debate. Some scientists believe it is caused by a virus or other infectious agents, while some studies have noted a link between the disease and carpet cleaning chemicals.

An autopsy will be conducted Monday to determine the official cause of death and Jett's body will then be flown to Ocala, Florida for burial. There is no word yet if this will affect any of the projects that Travolta or Preston are currently working on, but the devoted parents are said to be devastated. The couple's attorney, in a press release about Jett's death, said, "John and Kelly are happy when their children are happy. This is the worst day of John's life."


-- Abbey Simmons, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: CNN
(Image Courtesy of the AP)