Autopsy completed for Jett Travolta

[CraftyGal]

Source: Associated Press

NASSAU, Bahamas (AFP) — Officials in the Bahamas on Monday conducted an autopsy on Jett Travolta, the teenage son of actor John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston, who died here last week during a family holiday, police said.

The results of the autopsy to find how 16-year-old Jett Travolta died could be made public as early as Monday afternoon, the Nassau police told AFP.

Jett was last seen on New Year's Day when he went to use the bathroom at the family's residence at the Old Bahama Bay Resort on Grand Bahama island, a statement issued Sunday by the Bahamas' police Chief Superintendent Basil Rahming said.

"He was discovered in the bathroom in an unconscious state around 10:00 am" the next day by a caretaker, the statement said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gc--TTKx0-6hNVx5napjItSS5wGg

---

There is also some statements made by the Church of Scientology.

"A Church of Scientology spokeswoman told AFP the church has no teachings on what medical care members should seek and "absolutely does not prevent people from seeking medical treatment."

Thought that this was interesting. I have heard that Jett's death was the result of a prolonged seizure.

CKNW Breaking News...

Death certificate says 16 year old Jett Travolta, son of actor John Travolta, was killed by a seizure.

Sent 2:28pm

[underpants]

1. This is SOP but most of the reporting on this has the suggestion of controversy

maybe I am just reading too much into it

The young man died. Let his family grieve.

[Botany]

2. The family and friends need to be left alone right now

I will not read anything about it and will turn the sound off if
it comes on the tv or radio.

Any Paparazzi should be horse whipped if they get w/ in 5 miles
of the family

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Let it go

It's a family tragedy and nobody's business. Who cares about a kid's autopsy? It's creepy.

Let it go.

[Ian David]

5. What if he was killed by the same person who killed Jon-Bennet and Natalie Holloway? n/t

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. Well, then,

that changes everything, of course....................
:toast:

[emilyg]

8. Yes.

[jb5150]

13. I'll second that...

Let the family grieve, this is none of our business.

[CraftyGal]

14. Sorry, I just wanted the conspiracy theories to end. nt

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. I think one way to do that

is to ignore it all and let it die a natural death - so to speak.

Giving this kind of stuff attention gives it fresh life.

But, that said, welcome to DU :toast:

[CraftyGal]

17. I have nothing but compassion for the Travolta's.

I have a son, who will be 16 next month and can't imagine what I would do if he passed on. Putting Scientology aside, there was so much happening for this young man. I know what it is like to have a child seize in my arms, Ih ave experienced it with all my kids and friends of others, due to extreme high fevers.

God Speed Jett, may you rest in peace.

CraftyGal

[Jamastiene]

4. RIP Jett Travolta

My condolences to the family.

[Marie26]

6. "the next day"? nt

[aquart]

20. See, that is my idea of a problem.

When was the last time they checked on a kid with a seizure disorder?

Love the PR job they've got up and running, though.

Does the autopsy say how many hours the kid spent on the bathroom floor?

[Marie26]

21. It sets off a lot of alarm bells,

that's for sure. I understand the calls to respect the parents' privacy, but IMO that ends where a child was being potentially neglected or ill-treated. I thought that the initial reports said that he went to the bathroom on New Year's Eve - if true, that'd mean he was left for... 11 hours on the floor. They said that a chime was on the bedroom door & a nanny was in a seperate room. There's also reports that he had a history of seizures & was non-verbal. And if that's true, I question why he would be left in a room alone at all. A bell chime wouldn't tell anyone if he was having a seizure. Plus, it's odd that they continue to claim that he had "Kawasaki syndrome", when that doesn't match the symptoms here at all. If they were covering up their child's autism, or denying medication for that condition, IMO that's irresponsible & even neglectful behavior & could have contributed to his death. Don't tell me it's none of my business, I already know that.

[Bosso 63]

7. It's my understanding that Jett had autism, but Scientologists

don't "believe" that autism exists, rather they believe that some people are "degraded".

I feel for the family, but I won't sit silent if anyone says that autism isn't real.
Autism is real, I just wish that it wasn't.

[KamaAina]

16. "Degraded"?!

I've been called "depraved" and "degenerate" in my time, but "degraded"?! :grr: I have a good mind to go to their conveniently located downtown office and "degrade" a few of those photographers' light meters they use to "measure your soul" or whatever. :eyes:

The irony is, the religion* was founded by a writer of (bad) science fiction -- and a wildly disproportionate number of SF fans, attendees at cons, etc., are "degraded".

[CraftyGal]

19. There is no evidence that Jet had autism.

In fact on Entertainment Tonight they are showing video of Jet at about 1 year old. He is not showing any of the typical signs of autism. It appears that if he was having "difficulties" that it was the result of the seizures.

CraftyGal

[Marie26]

22. In the short videos,

you can see that Jett is never walking unaided. His parents are holding one hand firmly, or a nanny is guiding him. How many teenaged boys have two nannies? IMO there's some other disorder there & it's not been acknowledged by his family.

[aquart]

23. Two nannies and he was alone for over 11 hours?

Mom and Pop didn't ask, on New Year's Eve, "Hey, Jett get off to bed okay?"

[Marie26]

24. Maybe everyone was out for New Year's. nt

[LisaL]

30. He was one year old at the video, and you think

there should have been typical signs of autism then? How can you base anything on a video of one year old child?
Some children seem perfectly normal when they are very young and only develop the signs when they become older.

[CraftyGal]

34. On John Travolta's website there are many pictures of Jet including when he is 2

that show him smiling at that age and also having eye contact. Also, typically autistic kids don't like human contact. He is not shying away from the contact from his parents. Check it out John Travolta if you don't believe me.

I got this from Neurology Channel.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs of autism may appear during infancy and the disorder is usually diagnosed by the age of 3. Sometimes the child's development appears normal until about 2 years old and then regresses rapidly. Symptoms of autism occur in various combinations, from mild to severe.

Infants with the disorder often display abnormal reactions to sensory stimuli (i.e., senses may be over- or under-active). Touches may be experienced as painful, smells may be overwhelmingly unpleasant, and ordinary daily noises may be painful. Loud noises (e.g., motorcycle going by, vacuum cleaner) and bright lights may cause inconsolable crying.

Other signs of the disorder in infants include the following:

* Appears indifferent to surroundings
* Appears content to be alone, happier to play alone
* Displays lack of interest in toys
* Displays lack of response to others
* Does not point out objects of interest to others (called protodeclarative pointing)
* Marked reduction or increase in activity level
* Resists cuddling

CraftyGal (edited to fix link)

[LisaL]

37. And even the link you provided says sometimes

the child's development appears normal until about 2. So what do photos of 1 year old or 2 year old are going to tell you?

[CraftyGal]

42. The ages they give are on average.

Parents often notice things sooner than other. Autism symptoms can be mimicked by other disorders. My son, now 19 years old, who has development issues, had many of the symptoms that are present in autism. He has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I think that we need to stop jumping to conclusions as to whether this young man had autism. There was some obvious issuses or the Travolta's wouldn't have the support that they had for him.

Not everyone is perfect and it sounds as if they had all the supports there for him. Just something happened.

CraftyGal

[spotbird]

60. Huh?

So the Travolta child may have suffered FAS rather than autism?

You guys need to work on your spin.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

51. If you watch the recent video of him from France...

you can see that there is something seriously not right with Jett -- especially when he is in the van. He clearly was suffering from some sort of mental disability, but their "Church" does not believe in such things, so there you go...

[Odin2005]

32. Those fucks think I'm "degraded"?

Assholes. Einstein is thought to have been a high-functioning autistic, and he was as sure as well wasn't "degraded".

[Marie26]

49. That hasn't been acknowledged

However, the attorney for the Travotas has acknowledged that he had frequent, serious seizures - "We're now told the grand mal seizures Jett suffered were "frequent and extremely serious." Travolta's lawyers, Michael Ossi and Michael McDermott, tell us "each seizure was like a death," with Jett losing consciousness and convulsing." It does make you wonder why he would ever have been left alone for so long. The attorney also said that he was taken off anti-seizure medication, and I wonder why. But we'll probably never know the truth of the matter.

[Jane Austin]

9. A service dog that alerts before seizures can be

of great help to people who have seizures.

Over the years we have donated five Golden Retriever puppies to service dog providers.

One of them, Trinity, was assigned to a wheelchair-bound person in Florida, and once at a gathering for people and their service dogs she was standing near some kids, and alerted on one who then had a seizure.

We don't know what they sense but when one does alert for seizures it's a valuable thing.

[caseymoz]

26. I conjecture that they smell the changes in sweat and breath.

Which would mean that the body is leading up to a seizure for some minutes before it actually happens.

We already know that dogs could "smell" fear. They definitely can smell hormonal bi-products in somebody's sweat. They could possibly hear the heartbeat as well.

[Pastiche423]

28. Please don't say "wheelchair bound"

We, that use w/c's for mobility are not bound by ropes, chains or anything else to our chairs. It is an archaic term that deserves to be dropped from our vocabulary as it is offensive.

Having said that, my dream is to have a Golden, both for assistance and as a seizure alert. One researcher believes that the dogs smell the chemical change happening in the body prior to a seizure.

[Jane Austin]

31. I had no idea that "wheelchair-bound" was offensive -

any more than house-bound, snow-bound or any of the other -bounds.

These "bounds" don't involve chains or ropes either, but are common English usage.

What on earth should I have said to describe the function of the service dog we donated?

I meant no offense.

[Pastiche423]

35. A PWD works perfectly

I'm sure you meant no offense. You were unaware of how offensive it is, but now you know.

[pop goes the weasel]

43. wheelchair user

That works well, since PWD also describes those of us who walk, but badly, or have developmental disability, or one of the myriads of other disability types.

The thing is, for those who don't understand, a modern wheelchair is a device for mobility. Rather than being a limitation, which "bound" signifies, a wheelchair brings freedom. There is so much pity, oftentimes, for people who use wheelchairs. Really, the ones who deserve pity are those whose lives would be freer and more full if they use wheelchairs but are either too poor or too mistakenly proud to use them. Making good wheelchairs more available and encouraging their use is undermined by the term "wheelchair bound," which implies that the person in the wheelchair is a passive rider.

Anyway, it's wonderful that you train service animals. My daughter has seizures, and I have often wished she had a dog with her, not so much to warn her, since she is rarely taken by surprise, but to stand over her and protect her should she seize while alone in public. If Jett Travolta had had one, his family could have been alerted by barking to come right away. So, thanks for your service! I'm very impressed with your dedication.

[Jane Austin]

46. Thanks, but I don't train them.

I just provide a well-bred puppy.

I am a very careful breeder, and my puppies have correct temperaments, meet the breed standard and generally live long, healthy lives.

When I donate one, they get the right one, not just the last one.

I can deduct the value of the puppy as a donation, but I always forget to. :)

Thanks for you nice comments. That's awfully kind of you.

I've seen a Boston Terrier serving as a seizure dog. It wouldn't have to be a big dog, and a little one could go everywhere with your daughter. They are very proud of their service vests.

Why don't you ask a local rescue if any of their dogs have been screened for seizure alerting.

Do a search for "rescue" and your state and see what you come up with.

[pop goes the weasel]

55. I hadn't thought of that

I never thought of rescue shelters as being resources for service animals.

[Jane Austin]

33. Do you have any connections to

service dog trainers and providers in your area?

I would think that almost any Golden, from a breeder or a rescue group, could be trained to do things for you.

And in a group of rescue dogs, it might not be too hard to find out which ones can sense seizures coming on.

[Pastiche423]

36. Unfortunately, there are no providers in my small town

Also, I live in a tiny apt.

[Jane Austin]

44. Goldens don't care how big your place is, as long as they can be near you

and they get a chance to chase the ball every now and then.

Are you in North or South CA?

[Pastiche423]

45. Southern Oregon

If I could only get home - SF. (Can no longer afford living there.)

Thats' great news about them not needing much space! Thank you for letting me know that.

[Jane Austin]

47. I have friends involved in rescue in both the Northern California

area (near Davis)and I know some rescue people in Washington state.

Very dear friends of ours have one of our dogs and her daughter, too.

All their dogs do therapy work at the juvenile jail, the VA hospital, at schools (Porkchop is a dog the kids read to, and for public education efforts of the SPCA.

They are in Vancouver, though, which I guess is way north of you.

[Pastiche423]

48. I live about half way between Davis and Washington state

We have a rescue group here, but they do not do training. I learned by trial and error that I can't train a puppy from a wheelchair. lol It was hysterical, though.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

52. Not all wheelchair bound people find it offensive...

just accurate. My best friend is wheelchair bound -- he has spina bifida -- and he has no problems with anyone pointing out the obvious.

[Jane Austin]

53. My mother was, too, in her last years of Alzheimer's.

The idea was to keep her up and out of bed, but she spent most of her time in a wheelchair.

When she died last year, I was unable to find any agency or group who wanted any of her expensive medical equipment.

Seems like I could have found someone who needed it or wanted it.

[Pastiche423]

54. Your friends is permanently in his w/c?

No sleeping in a bed, no showering, no riding in a vehicle. Must be a horrible life.

[MannyGoldstein]

11. Hopefully This Public Tragedy Will Prevent Some Further Damage By Scientology

Very, very sad.

[Swede Atlanta]

12. I am soooo pissed at CNN and other news outlets

They spent 30 minutes last night repeating pictures of John and his now deceased son on Larry King Live. I wish it was Larry King Dead....he is such a scumbag. For goodness sake, let the poor family mourn their tragic loss in peace, privacy and dignity. What a sick bunch of fucks we are as a nation when we make a spectacle of such immeasurable and incomprehensible loss. We do it all the time and the fucking media is to blame. Do they not know when the almighty dollar needs to be sacrificed for the benefit of grieving families. Oh, I guess now. Ronny Ray-gun (glad that turd is planted) taught us that the dollar and private enterprise is the end-all and be-all.

[spotbird]

56. The kid didn't get treatment for

what turned out to be a fatal illness.

Larry King is nothing, religious fundamentalism in the extreme is frightening.

[zelta gaisma]

18. hmm , my dad's a star, i'm a teen found dead in the john.......

can we say drug OD? i *knew* we could...

[spotbird]

57. Nowhere has it been suggested

that the child overdosed.

[loyalsister]

61. Totally unfair

People are making way too many assumptions.
Unfortunately, the Travoltas are to blame for that.
I don't know about autism, but he clearly meets the criteria for a Seizure disorder\Epilepsy....
The thing that I find disturbing is that hiding in the closet opens the door for all of the myths to fly about.

If the Travoltas had come out and taken an opportunity to open a public conversation and educate people more, maybe people would have a greater awareness rather than spouting of some of the ignorance that I have seen throughout these threads.

"However, about 25 to 30 percent of people with epilepsy will continue to experience seizures even with the best available treatment. Doctors call this situation intractable epilepsy. Having a seizure does not necessarily mean that a person has epilepsy. Only when a person has had two or more seizures is he or she considered to have epilepsy."

http://www.medicinenet.com/seizure/page2.htm

"Although most people with epilepsy lead full, active lives, they are at special risk for two life-threatening conditions: status epilepticus and sudden unexplained death."

http://www.medicinenet.com/seizure/page12.htm

I think they deserve the benefit of the doubt regarding medical care of their son. But I really hope that they will eventually make an effort to temper some of this press that is simply all about pity for the Travoltas as opposed to education regarding the circumstances of his death. They could take this opportunity to discuss the lifestyle required to accomodate their son's disorder, etc.

The impression they give is one of shame and it leaves a mark for some of us so I understand the anger.

[originalpckelly]

25. So what about psychiatric medicine?

"the church has no teachings on what medical care members should seek"

[caseymoz]

27. So the Scientologists come out just long enough to cover their asses

. . . and then run back under the rock.

Travolta might be having a crisis of faith at this moment.

[Sultana]

29. The media needs to back off

[greguganus]

38. Death certificate says "Seizure". Says "no head trauma".

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=346161>1=28101

Glen Campbell is assistant director of the funeral home. Wonder when he stopped singing?

"I am a funeral director for the countyyyyyy...."

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

39. Why is this in LBN?

I've had far more newsworthy threads than this pushed of to the lounge

[greguganus]

40. "Latest Bahama News"? n/t

[spotbird]

58. To call attention to the damage

that blind devotion which ignores science can cause.

[mountainvue]

41. He's already been cremated. n/t

[TrogL]

50. A friend's son died of seizures

He was on the right medications, family was present and an ambulance was called immediately and was there in a few minutes. There was nothing that could be done.

Be that as it may, I'm still suspicious of whether nor not medication was withheld perhaps because it was considered "psychiatric" medicine even though it was treating a neurological disorder.

[spotbird]

59. That can happen with adequate treatment

but it is irrelevant to what happened to this boy.