The Loss of a Jett

Jett Travolta, the eldest child of John Travolta and Kelly Preston, recently died while on vacation in the Bahamas.

Jett had a developmental disability. My hunch is that it might be a "no-no" for Scientologists to recognize and treat (in traditional ways) members that have developmental disabilities. Since Jett died in the Bahamas and was 16, there will likely be rumors of some type of overdose. The official line is that he suffered a seizure, fell and hit his head on a bathtub. My guess is that this is accurate. Many people with developmental disabilities have serious seizure disorders. I serve as guardian for several people with developmental disabilities. All of them have a seizure disorder. In most cases, the disorder can be treated with medications. However, since some of the most effective medications such as Depakote and Kepra are also used to treat mental illness, my guess is that Scientology would frown on any members taking such medications.

Last year, a father and mother in my state were both convicted of a felony for not getting their teenage daughter treatment for her diabetes. Rather than seek medical treatment, the couple prayed over their daughter. The daughter died. I doubt that any relatives of Jett Travolta will ever be in court - even though they may have been equally as negligent as the parents in my state that were convicted.

Ultimately, a young many may have died from a condition that is usually effectively controlled by medications.