Scientologist Son Dead At 16

Deviating from my normal routine, I’ll mention the death of Jett Travolta, John’s son.

Apparently, the 16-year-old (who still has a nanny and baby-monitoring devices) hit his head and died in the bathroom this weekend, quite possibly while in the middle of a seizure. Now the press is asking questions about autism, or Kawasaki Syndrome.

This speculation is connected to the Scientologist actor’s religious beliefs against treated medical conditions with prescription drugs. Whatever the cause, I can tell you from quite personal experience, that anyone suffering from any kind of seizure disorder would be better off on any of the many anti-convulsant drugs available, even on minimalist dosages, than going without (or falling off the routine of taking the meds).

We need to know what happened to Jett. The incidence raises questions about Scientology, but it also raises concern and awareness about tonic-clonic seizures. At the very least, this tragedy could prove a great example for why prescription drugs are necessary in these cases (not just for epileptics, or patients with seizure disorder, but as a precaution for anyone that “passes out”).

And I know – as a young guy, I hated the idea of going to the doctor’s regularly (it was just an unnecessary hassle). But you just can’t rule out modern medicine for certain things. “Spirtual healing” and taking vitamin pills can only carry you so far.