Emotional John Travolta Recounts Attempt to Save Son
The Autism News | English
By Gina Serpe | E-Online
In what will no doubt go down as the second most difficult day of his year, John Travolta took the stand this morning in the trial of two Bahamians allegedly involved in a $25 million extortion plot against his family.
A grim Travolta and Kelly Preston arrived at a Bahamian courthouse this morning escorted by a fleet of security.
The actor took the stand and immediately began revisiting the moments before his 16-year-old son Jett’s death on Jan. 2.
Jett’s nanny awakened Travolta and Preston at roughly 10:15 a.m., the actor said, informing them that Jett was unconscious in his bathroom.
“I ran downstairs with my wife to help my son,” Travolta recalled, adding that when he got to him, one of the boy’s caretakers was already performing chest compressions.
The actor quickly jumped into action and began administering CPR to his son, whom he also acknowledged on the stand suffered not only from Kawasaki disease, but from autism as well.
“Jeff, the other nanny, was doing some compressions,” he said. “I was doing the breathing.”
After a brief lunch break, Travolta returned to the stand and for the first time admitted that the long-time speculation was true about his son’s condition.
“He was autistic,” he said. “He suffered from a seizure disorder.”
Travolta said his son suffered seizures every five to 10 days and that each seizure lasted around 45 seconds. Jett would usually sleep for 12 hours after an episode.
Opening arguments kicked off yesterday, with the Bahamian chief prosecutor wasting no time getting to the heart of the matter.
“Contact was made with certain persons to communicate a threat to John Travolta,” Bernard Turner said, referring to codefendants Pleasant Bridgewater, a former senator, and Tarino Lightbourne, an ambulance driver, who together are alleged to have attempted to extort $25 million from the grieving star.
At the root of the case is a refusal-to-transport document: The trial’s first witness, police inspector Andrew Wells, said Travolta requested that Jett be taken directly to the airport rather than the hospital—the reasoning likely being that he could just as quickly get his son medical treatment in the U.S. as on the island—and signed a release form stating just that.
In the end, Jett was taken directly to the hospital after all. It’s unclear what accounted for the change in decision or why the threat of publication of the signed document seemed like a good bargaining chip for the alleged extortionists.
The second witness to take the stand yesterday, paramedic Derrex Rolle, testified that Jett was already unresponsive when the emergency services arrived at the actor’s vacation home.
The trial is expected to last three weeks.
Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b145642_emotional_john_travolta_recounts.html
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Debra Bennett Mattison
Thank you for sharing this. Who knows what could have been done in the previous 16 years of this child’s life to help him had the fact that the child was on the autism spectrum, with autism, not been withheld for so long. No one knows what was really being done to help him. This is NOT something to be ashamed of. It is very common and a fact of life once the child is born!
Lorraine Lewington
r.i.p.jet xxx
Lisa Miller-Marin
Hey these kids don’t sign up for this. They are dealt this disorder. And we as parents didn’t ask for it either, but we bring these kids into the world. I am not ashamed of my son with Autism, I am actually proud of him. I think denying this for so long is an insult to Autism. Just my opinion.
Karen Wood Fuller
I dont believe that they were ashamed of their son. In Scientology, they do not believe in psychiatry. Autism is defined by the medical world as a mental disorder. Most with an affected child know this to be untrue. My son does not need a psychiatrist he needs medical intervention.
I also know they wanted to keep him from being a tabloid money maker. The trash media feeds on things like this and I admire them for keeping him safe and loved. I believe they also did everything in their power to help him. Looking at the pictures of that family, they made him the center of their world, as he deserved to be. I can feel their pain when I see these pictures,and I send them my deepest sympathy.
Karen Elmquist
On a spiritual level, we did sign up for this….and so did our children. The decisions are made by the soul before we come into this life. We are here to experience the good, the bad and the ugly. And we are here to learn. I believe that Jett’s soul is at peace with the outcome. And we are all learning from it. And your awareness has changed because of him and others that we love. It is an intricate and interwoven dance, albeit a painful one.
April Baker Chamberlain
I think we should pray for them at this terrible time. It is a horrible thing that they have had to live through. I could not imagine nor would i want to. I love my son and i do everything for him he gives me his love in return. they loved their son and they are grieving every day for him. god bless them.
Lisa Miller-Marin
Yes I agree spiratually we did, but our earthly lives don’t remember this. We didn’t sign up for the rude comments, the problems with schools, and all the other problems outsiders give us. I would only change my son for one person, himself. I see the good other famous people are doing with their children with Autism, but he all out denied it. I never said I didn;t have sympathy for this family, for I have sympathy for any family who losses a memeber. I also personally know a family who lost their son with Autism due to seizures, and I could never imagine not getting to say goodbye.
Although Autism is defined as a mental disorder, most people dealing with Autism understand it isn’t a ” mental” disorder.
Karen Elmquist
Well said, Lisa. The shock of this is meant to wake us up. In due time the veil will lift and we will remember. My autistic son has done his job in waking me up. So i say to myself “ok, I’m awake, now he can heal”. But apparently, there are more souls to be touched by Ian’s autism than my own. This is an amazing journey. It is hard and there are days when I would just love to pull the plug on it, but then I wouldn’t see the joy of recovery, or the joy of truth as it emerges on our planet. I can only pray…and hope that my own soul heals so I can find joy again in my own life.
Maria Mills Greenfield
I agree with Lisa. My prayers and sympathies go out to the entire family, but I, too, wondered from the beginning if his son couldn’t have gotten more help for his AUTISM if it had been addressed….Kawasaki sounds more glamourous, maybe? It would be nice if I could call my son’s problems something else, but it is what it is….and like I always say “Don’t stare, be aware!”
Tanya Travis Statum
Karen: I agree with you completely! I have learned this from son. And everyday as he teaches me something, and those around him, we all wake up, and he truly heals from that. His body heals. His soul is already perfect! : )
Sonia Braico Anderson
Just curious… how does anyone know that they were not getting any intervention for their son. If they were so private with his diagnosis could they not have been as private with the treatments? Or is it true that Scientology does not believe and deal with this Autism?
Jenny Bruce
god bless R.I.P no family deserves to go through this after there son passing away how awful!, my prayers and sympathy to all the family god bless you all…xx
Lisa Hunter Ryden
The Travoltas were getting treatment for Jett in Austin.
Emily Malabey
I am ashamed to admit this, but I feel I am among friends. After Jett died, I was all over the place denouncing John and his wife. I do not, did not like Scientology. I had heard too many (well sourced) stories of Kelly in particular being a mother that did not want to deal with her child or even be seen with him much in public because of his “weird actions or meltdowns”. It was plain to me and many, many other parents and profesisonals that Jett was obviously Autistic. The parents denied for so long, and it was sad to observe. Whether it was religious based or not, i felt was no excuse. I think Jon Travolta is learning and is coming around slowly. Maybe one day he will speak out and be an advocate. I am sorry for judging them as parents and saying some of the things I did after poor Jett’s passing. I still say Scientology sucks and is stupid, but the Travoltas are parents like the rest of us and probably love their kids and do what they really feel is best just like the rest of us.
Debra Bennett Mattison
Emily….I agree totally. I judged them, and probably still do. I just see too many kids in our area (I am a parent advocate for our school district and a volunteer aide at the local “special” preschool for special needs children) whose parents don’t care or don’t deal with their children’s issues. So many CPSE/CSE meetings that I attend are NOT attended by the parents. I am sorry for judging them, but more sorry for Jett who suffered the most. And I think Scientology sucks, too by the way!
Alicia M Panayotakis
I personally think it is sad that so many of us in the Autism Community have shunned them. Who knows what treatments their son was getting and who’s to say it was right or wrong? Does anyone needless to say millions of people come into our homes and scrutinize every move or Dr. appointment we take our “autistic” children to? Do we have people watching us and making opinions about us? No, when they decided to go into acting I’m sure they knew their family would be in the public eye but not their child with a disorder, no one would want this. We should pray for them and welcome them into the community with open arms accepting them as humans with flaws, just like us.
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Susan Chaytor Cosgrove
he acknowledged it today in court. i think it’s okay they wanted to keep it private. i can’t imagine having the tabloids talk all about my personal life or my son’s autism. i think it was their right to keep his struggles out of the tabloids.
http://www.tmz.com/2009/09/23/john-travolta-acknowledges-jett-autism-autistic-seizures/
Susan Chaytor Cosgrove
we can’t say jett was not being treated. how do we know that? private lives are private for a reason. we should just thank the lord it wasn’t any of our sons who passed away so tragically.
Janet Hahn
I have always recognized autism in his son, as we all have…if they could have been a voice for autism all these years perhaps more would have been accomplished.
Emily Malabey
Yes, to the above posters, people DO come into my life, and probably yours ALL the time judging, whispering, lecturing, etc it goes with being a mother, much less a mother of a special kid. The Travoltas deinied the autism and refused treatment and even made up saying he had Kawasaki disease which is almost impossible, ALMOST I said. I have read up on it and I have seen Jett in videos, etc. He was autistic. We all know it. Scientology sucks. And medical communtiy wants to call autism a “mental illness’ to get out of coverage for treatments. Screw the deniers and the insurance crooks. I hope the Travoltas heal, learn and make amends. I hope the best for their little girl left behind.
Emily Malabey
you know, guys, if it were one of our kids who passed the same way we would be investigated at the very least by authorities. So, give me a break on let’s all be nice to the travoltas. They did not realize he was in the bathroom for like ten hours??? First he hit his head and then it was a seizure…?
Whatever the case, we would have been all investigated and we would have been scrutinized and raked over the coals, mourning and all! Like I said I hope to see John and Kelly do a press conference or something and speak to the autism community on behalf of their late son.
Lisa Miller-Marin
OK Emily, I am happy to say this we totally agree on.
Vicki Umbehagen
I know people within the autism community who know that the Travolta’s did everything within their power to see that Jett got treatment–ie people who saw the same doctors, went to the same HBOT centers etc. They did NOT deny treatment. What they did apparently want was privacy and I can’t say that I blame them…
Alicia M Panayotakis
I don’t think that authorities would be all over us? My son fell down the stairs at 4 (Hypotonia and so forth) the Pediatrician called the ER so they knew we were coming. It’s all in how you the mother or parent presents the situation. I don’t think they could have done anything more than what’s being done already for Autism. People personally may have felt better about their own children but not the entire community. I think now to have a press conference is over the top. Let the family grieve…I think they were trying to give their son some independence and he was 16. I didn’t read that he was laying there for over 10 hours. As fellow parents let’s just help them and let them as we would anyone else move on with their lives.
Emily Malabey
There are some great comments here. Kawasaki syndrome was not Jett’s issue and it is a very, very rare syndrome. Even in Asians, who it affects overwhelmingly more than anyone else. I never bought it and was insulted the travoltas and the press tried to assume we are all dumbasses out here and would just swallow that BS.
Maria, I like that! “Don’t stare-be aware”!!! I wish I had thought that up before the rally!
Emily Malabey
Yay! Lisa we agree! I think we agree more than disagree and we were both pretty heated about the other posting before. We have something damn important in common- our concernn and love for our kids. Typical and the non typical ones alike. I support all my fellow moms in arms.
Vicki, maybe the secretly and against their scientologist teachings went and got the kid therapy, etc for his manifestations of autism. All accounts I have heard, and I have from pretty good sources as well, they did not. They denied what it was to fit in with their cult and to the media in attempts to also please their cult. All the while it was an insult and a slap in the face to the majority of professionals and parents who could see the obvious yet we were supposed to believe Kawasaki disorder? W-E!
I think today I will refer to my son’s autism as netinyahoo!
Vicki Umbehagen
Emily, Jett was a teen. I know other parents of teens who say that he received treatment from some of the same places they did back when there were few treatment options.
There have been quiet rumors for years about Jetts therapy from his “nannies” who also served as therapists.
The doctors are bound by confidentiality, as they should be.
From another parent I’ve been told that they did HBOT after hours. Lots of people refuse to call their children “autistic” preferring to call them “vaccine damaged”. I tend to think of my child as a Lyme’s kid because he is. The autism is the manifestation of the symptoms. Perhaps they saw Jett regress from the Kawasaki’s and never go back so in their mind he had “Kawasaki’s”. I’m not saying I totally agree but it’s not for me to second guess them and they’ve lost their child which I know must be extremely tough.
Emily Malabey
yes he was a teen when he died. He was still a kid. And when did they begin treating his autism allegedly? None if us knows. It seems you know what autism “Is”. I hope you can now enlighten all the neurologists, scientists, politicians, educators, etc……Yes, I am being sarcastic. I do not know autism is “caused” by vaccines or not. There are so many X factors to investigate. There are manifestations of autism, yes. Some very typical manifestations and some that are very individual. But most of us can recognize it. I have no clue who thought it was an acceptable idea to refer to it as kawasaki’s, but my hypothesis is it was chosen because it is so rare, that they were probably comfortable no one would know enough about it to challenge them. Most people do not dare challenge the celebs anyway. Yes, it sucks to lose a child. No one wants to go through with it. Having lost an infant in the past, which is probably not nearly as painful, I am sorry for the travolta’s loss, but
Emily Malabey
the lies were unaccpetbale and insulting. If one does not want to say autism out loud, then maybe they can seek counseling to figure out what their issues are. I do nto care if they were in our faces with it or not, but saying it was something else (and to pick KD) was pretty stupid. Calling it Lyme’s or vaccine injured is also pretty offensive to me. Lyme Disease is not the same as autism. Your child might be both, but it is not one in the same. And no one has proven what “causes” autism. I have read very valid and scholarly in depth research on the vaccine theory as well as arguments against it. It is irresponsible to state it is alll about vaccines or to state vaccines have nothing to do with it. NO ONE KNOWS the answers yet. And I am pretty pissed anyone suggests they know for sure. When it is “solved”, the nobel prize will be awarded, I am sure. Until then we need awareness, advocacy, education, acceptance, and support for our loved ones. Period. And the travolta’s did none of it
Vicki Umbehagen
I think the point is that no one knows for sure what causes it and whether or not it is even caused by the same thing in each child– I doubt it…So no, I DON”T know what causes it in every child and I NEVER said I did, but most of us as parents use what we see with our own child to determine what we see as having caused it, whether it’s Lyme’s, vaccines, anesthesia regression, celiac, etc. (all things that I have heard and seen with my own two eyes as contributing to the symptoms and regressions.)
This life is tough enough without living it in a fish bowl. Look at all the USELESS BICKERING that goes on here …….. and most of us are not even celebrities..
Emily Malabey
Alicia, you are continuing the very real oroblem of “blame the parents”. In this case you are saying that authorities would not be all over us, and if they are it is our fault for how we “present” any given issue? Give me a break. I do a lot of volunteer work and volunteer advocacy is what I do the most of. I have SEEN real and actual instances when parents (namely mothers) are blamed, investigasted, accused, etc. It is a mess. A huge mess. All that does is distract parents from being able to help and parent their kids. Schools, neighbors, etc all better get some education and information. This needs to stop. I am sorry you feel that it is all so simple and good. But I am glad you never had to experience some of what I have seen in your own life and I hope you never do.
Alicia M Panayotakis
Emily, First I did not say I have never seen things go on. I am a bus driver for Special Ed children and children who are in alternative schools for different reasons, some being neglect, abuse and children plain and simple breaking the rules of society. I also advocate and volunteer at numerous places. I feel that things are not all plain and simple but when problems are approached calmly and positively than more is accomplished. This is my point of view. By the way, if you have read so much then you would know that Jett DID have Kawasaki’s disease at 15 months old. I know plenty of parents that are in complete denial of their children’s autism and actually call the contained classrooms “extra help” so please don’t insult us here. Second, it is no one’s business what disease that child had whether it was autism or seizures or Lyme disease this is why we now have the HIPPA laws.
Alicia M Panayotakis
It is for all of us to advocate not one family. I will not post another comment to this because it feels like a hostility party.