John Tavolta's son Jett dies at age 16

[JBean]

Hi Bean, Thanks to you and all the posters here who have knowledge of these problems. It really helps us understand the situation better ;}

In that link by Penelope on the previous page it mentions if death occurs as a result of a seizure it is not SUDEP. The next line says:

"Notably, evidence of a recent seizure does not exclude the diagnosis of SUDEP as long as death did not occur during the seizure."

It is a bit confusing, and since Jett had so many seizures every week, it well could be his death was only due to the seizure. We just don't know if his death happened during the seizure or not. I don't even know if that makes any difference. xox

Hi Scandi. generally speaking a seizure does not harm a person, and whether it harms the brain depends on the type of seizure.
Typically people that die from epilepsy die because:
1. An accident associated with the seizure like drowning or falling or having a head injury.
2. SUDEP is when an epileptic in seemingly good health just dies. I think the comparison to SIDS is the best way to describe it.
3. Status Epilepticus which is an emergency situation where seizures do not stop and they go from one to another to another to another and can certainly be fatal.
So we will have to wait and see which of these it is. I have never been aware of dying from the actual seizure itself, but I will do a bit of research.

 

[Penelope]

Sleuthers--

This link makes for some interesting reading:

http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/archives/a_plea_from_hollywood_john_travolta_open_your_heart.phtml

 

[JaneInOz]

Sleuthers--

This link makes for some interesting reading:

http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/archives/a_plea_from_hollywood_john_travolta_open_your_heart.phtml

Your link was screwy

This is the right link http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com...hollywood_john_travolta_open_your_heart.phtml

And yes very interesting !

 

[pooky169]

I am no doctor so I am not even going to comment about his condition and cause of death. But I do feel sorry for the family for his untimely death and hope they can get through this and I feel Jett is in a better place with God now and he is cured from all that was wrong with him.
God bless John and his family and my prayers go out to them.

 

[Marthatex]

The ABC news I was watching tonight stated that the autopsy concluded he died from a seizure. It didn't say he died from hitting his head; but we would have to read the entire report I guess.

 

[scandi]

Hi Scandi. generally speaking a seizure does not harm a person.
Typically people that die from epilepsy die because:
1. An accident associated with the seizure like drowning or falling or having a head injury.
2. SUDEP is when an epileptic in seemingly good health just dies. I think the comparison to SIDS is the best way to describe it.
3. Status Epilepticus which is an emergency situation where seizures do not stop and they go from one to another to another to another and can certainly be fatal.
So we will have to wait and see which of these it is. I have never been aware of dying from the actual seizure itself, but I will do a bit of research.

\


Thanks Bean, I have never known anyone with epilepsy, so am just learning about this.

I doubt we will hear the full results of the autopsy until the tox screen comes back. Remember with Ana Nichole it took so long to get. xox

 

[JBean]

Mechanisms
Only a small portion of definite SUDEP cases have been documented as witnessed. Langen et al have reported 15 cases of witnessed SUDEP. Eighty percent of these patients had a seizure immediately before death. Terrence reported 24% and Leetsma reported 38% of witnessed deaths to be an immediate consequence of a seizure attack. Kloster reported evidence of recent seizures (ie, witnessed, oral trauma, cyanosis) in 67% of victims. However, in all witnessed deaths, seizures stopped before death, and in many cases patients regained consciousness. The immediate event before death was respiratory arrest (obstructive and central) in a few witnessed cases. The majority of victims were reported to have difficulty breathing before death. Attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation were unsuccessful
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1187111-overview

 

[JBean]

\


Thanks Bean, I have never known anyone with epilepsy, so am just learning about this.

I doubt we will hear the full results of the autopsy until the tox screen comes back. Remember with Ana Nichole it took so long to get. xox

I don't think they have to release it all do they? No foul play involved.

 

[JBean]

Your link was screwy

This is the right link http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com...hollywood_john_travolta_open_your_heart.phtml

And yes very interesting !

What bearing does that have on his death from a seizure? Just looks like a gossip blog to me.
JMHO of course.

 

[scandi]

I don't think they have to release it all do they? No foul play involved.

Probably not unless the time becomes a factor with negligence of the nannies.

I don't think there is any foul play either. And the fact the Travolta's had him on meds before his body started reacting negatively to them, doing more harm than good, and that they had two nannies with to care for him - shows there was no negligence on their part IMO.

That is why I said I so feel for the Travolta's. To have to deal with his sudden death and then the consequences of the timing, detectives and dealing with the media on top of that, is just so unfortunate. Thank goodness they are surrounded by the love and caring of so many well-wishers.

 

[lymom3]

I totally understand and agree that there is no magic pill that will work for everyone nor is there any way to guarantee that seizures won't reoccur. My cousin has epilepsy and she does very well but she can still have seizures out of the blue. If he had seizures that bad and that often it just seems inappropriate not to try whatever resources you can. The link that I read said that they tried Depakote and they didn't like the side effects.

There are plenty of newer medications to try. That was my only point. If their religon kept them from getting him the kind of help that may have avoided this situation then shame on them. He is safe with God now though.

While i do believe Jett was medicated, in some cases it is reasonable to not medicate under doctor supervision.
I did not medicate my son for many years, because the certain damage done by the meds outweighed the uncertain damage that may or may not be caused by the seizures or aftermath.
It is virtually impossible for any of us to know if the treatment they chose for their son was right or wrong or the best course of action for his circumstances.
I had to go to 3 pediatric neurologists to find one that supported my desire to keep him off of the heavy medications that were prescribed for him. But this doctor completely understood that in his case it was entirely reasonable.
I am glad I did it because I saved him 15 years of irreparable damage to his body. he is now medicated with a drug that was not available 19 years ago when he was first diagnosed.It does not damage his body; so we were able to put him on a drug that we felt good about. But not all anti-convulsants work on all people so everyone does not have the same options.

 

[Seamaid]

What bearing does that have on his death from a seizure? Just looks like a gossip blog to me.
JMHO of course.

I posted that link a few days ago too. It doesn't have anything to do with his death from a seizure but I do think it brings to light the fact that because of their "religious" beliefs, they did not recognize (which is their right) or treat (which is suspect) any and all of his medical conditions.

If they couldn't/wouldn't admit that Jett had Autism, what makes you think that they would treat seizures in a conventional way? From all I've read, they couldn't treat any medical conditions with anything other then herbal remedies and saunas. In Scientology, no one can be imperfect, no one can be ill. If you are it's because you're not trying hard enough to be good. By admitting that their son had medical issues they were risking their own standing in the "church".

I think Kawasaki syndrome was a church sanctioned cover up. People in the Travolta's community were starting to make a fuss about Jett not being treated, remember there were reports of him not even being home schooled. Kawasaki Syndrome came out around that time and stopped the gossip.

 

[JBean]

Probably not unless the time becomes a factor with negligence of the nannies.

I don't think there is any foul play either. And the fact the Travolta's had him on meds before his body started reacting negatively to them, doing more harm than good, and that they had two nannies with to care for him - shows there was no negligence on their part IMO.

That is why I said I so feel for the Travolta's. To have to deal with his sudden death and then the consequences of the timing, detectives and dealing with the media on top of that, is just so unfortunate. Thank goodness they are surrounded by the love and caring of so many well-wishers.

As the mother of an epileptic son, I made my decisions on his health care based on my own research ,doctor opinions and my son's very specific case. Presumably the Travoltas did the same thing.
Sometimes it just doesn't matter what precautions we take or don't take.

I feel so bad for this family it hurts. When I heard this news, I was caring for my own son that had just had a seizure.All i could do was cry, because I was sitting in a hospital room with my child when he had more chance of dying as a result of his seizure since he was driving a car, and they were sitting with their dead son and he was just in his home.

 

[JBean]

I posted that link a few days ago too. It doesn't have anything to do with his death from a seizure but I do think it brings to light the fact that because of their "religious" beliefs, they did not recognize (which is their right) or treat (which is suspect) any and all of his medical conditions.

If they couldn't/wouldn't admit that Jett had Autism, what makes you think that they would treat seizures in a conventional way? From all I've read, they couldn't treat any medical conditions with anything other then herbal remedies and saunas. In Scientology, no one can be imperfect, no one can be ill. If you are it's because you're not trying hard enough to be good. By admitting that their son had medical issues they were risking their own standing in the "church".

I think Kawasaki syndrome was a church sanctioned cover up. People in the Travolta's community were starting to make a fuss about Jett not being treated, remember there were reports of him not even being home schooled. Kawasaki Syndrome came out around that time and stopped the gossip.

They have said they did treat him with anticonvulsants. I have no idea if not recognizing autism has any bearing on not recognizing epilepsy.
We do not know enough about his condition to draw any conclusions,imo. I chose to not medicate my son for 15 years and if I had it to do again I would choose the exact same course of action.

 

[pooky169]

As the mother of an epileptic son, I made my decisions on his health care based on my own research ,doctor opinions and my son's very specific case. Presumably the Travoltas did the same thing.
Sometimes it just doesn't matter what precautions we take or don't take.

I feel so bad for this family it hurts. When I heard this news, I was caring for my own son that had just had a seizure.All i could do was cry, because I was sitting in a hospital room with my child when he had more chance of dying as a result of his seizure since he was driving a car, and they were sitting with their dead son and he was just in his home.

Hugsssssssssssssssssssss!!!!
I am glad your son is ok and it wasn't worse than it could be. My heart breaks for them too. You sound like a very good mom and your son is lucky to have a wonderful support system when he needs it.
My prayers for you and your son too you seem like a really nice person.

 

[concernedperson]

IMO, this is a horrible tragedy and no negligence is involved. Anyone who has children with ongoing medical problems understands the balance between trying to be/provide normal and treat illness at the same time. It is a delicate balance for the most part and anyone who loves their children will be doing all of that and more. The Travolta's have done everything possible to provide, protect and treat their child. He died despite their efforts.

Only God knows why a child is taken. But, it would be the worst pain on earth for parents. My prayers are with them and so many others that lose their children before their time. To me, that is the absolute worst thing that can happen to anyone.

A old lady told me something that is sticking. Babies are born and don't ask to be born. It is up to the parents to care for them and it is up to God to make sure all the tools are available. Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.

 

[KR2tonenow]

Your link was screwy

This is the right link http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com...hollywood_john_travolta_open_your_heart.phtml

And yes very interesting !

Thank you for this. An associate of mine who is an Adult ASD, worked with Joey Travolta this past Summer with the Theatre Group that Joey is apart of. Great article. :clap:

 

[STEADFAST]

IMO, this is a horrible tragedy and no negligence is involved. Anyone who has children with ongoing medical problems understands the balance between trying to be/provide normal and treat illness at the same time. It is a delicate balance for the most part and anyone who loves their children will be doing all of that and more. The Travolta's have done everything possible to provide, protect and treat their child. He died despite their efforts.

Only God knows why a child is taken. But, it would be the worst pain on earth for parents. My prayers are with them and so many others that lose their children before their time. To me, that is the absolute worst thing that can happen to anyone.

Great post, cp! The hardest thing about being a parent is realizing you do not have total control of what may happen to your child, no matter what decisions or actions you take.

 

[Vegas Bride]

If Jett did have seizures often, why didn't he wear a protective helmet? I used to work with some clients who even with medication, did not have seizures controlled and they wore helmets to protect themselves for when they fell.

VB

 

[elfie]

Another article here http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j0wedKH98UcD_b0W-ZGcWsepQ1GQD95FCBG00

Why is it that when we Like someone as in John Travolta, I know I do....back from the days of Grease with our own Olivia Newton John...
Why is it that we go into complete defence mode that anything of any untoward doing might have occured ? and others get jumped on for mentioning something could be wrong ?

Yet when its someone that is not popular in the public eye, and not well known/liked whatever , everyone is ready to crucify them and say they must have done xyz ?

Isn't human nature strange !

I know, its bizarre!

My heart still goes out to the family though, he was so young.