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More Details About Jett's Condition
Posted on Mon Jan 5, 2009 06:00 AM PDT
Photo courtesy the Travolta family via Rogers & Cowan
Although the autopsy won't be conducted until today, new details about Jett's condition have emerged.
TMZ reports that Jett actually had a history of grand mal seizures (which are not associated with Kawasaki Disease) that occurred as frequently as once every four days. The seizures were "extremely serious," according to Travolta's lawyers, and "each seizure was like a death," where Jett would lose consciousness and begin convulsing.
But despite rumors that Travolta and family refused to treat Jett's condition with meds due to their belief in Scientology, Jett had actually been prescribed an an anti-seizure medication called Depakote which he had been taking for "several years" according to Travolta's camp. The meds reduced the frequency of Jett's seizures from once every four days to once every three weeks. Eventually the meds stopped working and the family made the decision to take him off the drug.
Although a seizure may have been what ultimately led to Jett's death, there is no reason to believe the lack of medication is to blame for the boy's untimely passing.
Our thoughts are with the Travoltas as they mourn the death of their son.
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SEE THE GALLERY 
John And Kelly's Son Jett
Comments
Its just sad. It is easy to tell how much he was loved!
he looked a lot like his Dad, i still can't believe his Son died so young. my condolence...
suck on that all you know it all haters that insisted he was being treated with meds!! Ready to condemn John and Kelly when you didnt even know the whole story!
What a sad day for the Travolta family. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Cherish all the good times you had with Jett. This will keep his memory alive. Only a parent can imagine the great loss of a child.
My heart goes out to Jett's family. I wonder if they knew about Hyperbaric Chamber therapy which can stop seizures by painlessly forcing oxygen into the brain. Doctors don't tell people about this therapy because there is no money in it for them. It's ashamed because it can save lives. WWW.WESTTENNESSEECARES.COM for more info.
Depakote is more commonly used in people with mood disorders associated with Bipolar disorder. Makes you wonder about the scientology aspect to it considering that they don't allow those types of drugs to be used. Depakote is considered a psychotropic drug. I guess the Travoltas did try something beyond scientology for Jett. Or could it all be spin?
From someone who has a family member with seizures, if one medication doesn't work, you put the person on something else. Seems like they were heeding Scientology when they didn't have such extreme seizures treated. Yes, there are side effects but you keep trying different meds. Anyway, it's too late now.
No anti-convulsant works long term and what works, even briefly, varies dramatically from one person to the next. As a social worker with children with autism, I have had several clients with diagnoses of both autism and Kawasaki disease; none of these children were Asian or under 8. And Depakote is a standard drug of choice for those with epilepsy/seizure disorder. There has been a lot of misinformation in the last three days about both disorders.
There are hundreds of parents who entirely support the approach of western medicine and intervention when it is proven effective and who do not practice the tenets of Scientology who choose to remove anti-convulsant therapy.
As a sidenote, many of the children who suffer severe injury and sometimes death as a result of head injury or aspiration during seizures are on a cocktail of anti-convulsants.
My thoughts are with the Travolta family during this horrible time.
No anti-convulsant works long term and what works, even briefly, varies dramatically from one person to the next. As a social worker with children with autism, I have had several clients with diagnoses of both autism and Kawasaki disease; none of these children were Asian or under 8. And Depakote is a standard drug of choice for those with epilepsy/seizure disorder. There has been a lot of misinformation in the last three days about both disorders.
There are hundreds of parents who entirely support the approach of western medicine and intervention when it is proven effective and who do not practice the tenets of Scientology who choose to remove anti-convulsant therapy.
As a sidenote, many of the children who suffer severe injury and sometimes death as a result of head injury or aspiration during seizures are on a cocktail of anti-convulsants.
My thoughts are with the Travolta family during this horrible time.
Jett had autism. you can see it in his face. If his parents withheld medication for seizures, it's unforgiveable - especially for Jett.
Red, Thanks for the informative comments. I think the judgements on this family are horrible. you can I love the comment from Anonymous. I didn't realize someone could diagnose a child with autism just by looking at a picture of his face? If you like the medication so much maybe you should take it.
As a family member of someone who suffered grand mal seizures, if one med. does not work, you take another one. Irresponsible to just discontinue medication, sorry.