Very sad news...

John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son Jett died today in the Bahamas after reportedly suffering a seizure. Some of you may know that Jett had Kawasaki Disease when he was two years old and his parents, being the Scientologists that they are, basically used a "detoxification" program from their church to treat their son for the illness rather than medical intervention, as Scientology does not support medical intervention except in extreme cases. The Kawasaki Disease Foundation, which I work with, has attempted to talk to them in the past and get them to be spokepeople about the disease, but as they believe that their son became ill with KD from chemicals used to clean their carpets (a theory that was long ago shot down as being a cause for the virus) they never wanted anything to do with the foundation, and instead chose to educate others about not using chemicals to clean with (a valid cause, however it worked against the mission of the foundation in some ways.)

The reports are saying that he died of a head injury after hitting his head in the bathtub when having a seizure. I have heard many reports since he had KD that he had many other health issues and that was the reason that the family essentially kept him hidden away from the media (they have often appeared with their daughter, but rarely with their son once he was older.)

Because he had KD when he was younger, some news reports are already choosing to try and draw a link between his seizure and KD. There is, of course the chance that since he never received medical treatment for his KD and instead his family chose to use a "detoxification" program, that he had heart issues and he actually died from a heart attack. However, right now they are saying it was a seizure. No matter what, this is a very sad situation. For a parent to have to lose their child so young, must be unbearable. USA Today called and the Foundation put out a statement. This article appeared in the paper today:

Travolta's son's death and Kawasaki Disease

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As the news spreads that actor John Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett died today at the family's vacation home in the Bahamas, there was early speculation that it was linked to Kawasaki Disease. According to some reports, Travolta has said in the past that Jett suffered from the condition. Later reports suggest that a head injury and seizure were involved.

The Kawasaki Disease connection to his death may be a leap.

It is unlikely that Kawasaki is connected with the death if a seizure was involved, says Nathan Litman, chief of infectious disease and director of pediatrics at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx, N.Y. "You'd have to go some distance to explain a connection to Kawasaki Disease," he says.

Kawasaki Disease, sometimes called Kawasaki Syndrome, is rare and typically affects children under the age of 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hallmarks of the illness include fever, a rash on the belly and back and genitals, and swelling of the hands and feet. Swollen glands and irritation around the mouth and lips are also indications of the illness, and more serious complications can include heart problems.

If the teenager had suffered a heart attack, that more likely would be related to an earlier case of Kawasaki, because Kawasaki can leave some children with abnormalities in the arteries of the heart, says Litman.

Litman says if a teenager suffers a seizure and dies, potential reasons can include any number of health issues such as previously undiagnosed epilepsy, injury or head trauma, infection, a tumor or low blood sugar. "A seizure can be secondary to many other conditions I haven't even mentioned," he says.

The Kawasaki Disease Foundation provides additional info.

Photo by Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY: John Travolta and Kelly Preston attended the 80th annual Academy Awards together.

--By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY