Kelly Preston Shares Rare Photo Of Her, John Travolta And Late Son Jett For Autism Awareness Month

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Kelly Preston has shared a rare photo her and husband John Travolta with their late son Jett, in honor of Autism Awareness month.

“To my sweet love, Jett. You are in our hearts forever. I send love to all of the beautiful autistic children and the wonderful people who love them. May we all shine and grant love and respect to children with special needs,” said the actress, who accompanied her message with a heart emoji.

The tender black and white snapshot is a reminder of the devastating loss Preston, and Travolta endured ten years ago. Jett was only 16-years-old when he suffered a devastating seizure and then hit his head on the bathroom floor, while the famous family was vacationing in the Bahamas.

Jett’s health had made headlines before his shocking death. He was diagnosed with Kawasaki syndrome, which is essentially a collection of symptoms that stem from swollen arteries. Research indicates it can lead to severe health issues, such as convulsions and seizures. KS, as the condition is often referred to, is a lesser known form of autism.

Preston opened up about her son’s health issues four years after his death in 2012. It was one of the first time Jett’s autism had been discussed publicly.

“He was autistic, he had seizures, and when he was very young, he had Kawasaki syndrome. John and I strongly believe there are certain contributing factors that lead to autism,” she said during an interview on The Doctors.

One of the contributing factors Preston believes is from Jett developing thrush at a young age. She thinks antibiotics she took while breastfeeding him caused the thrush, which some research has linked to autism.

John Travolta and Kelly Preston continue to honor their late son Jett Travolta. They set up a foundation in Jett’s name that has helped many children over the years.

“The Foundation shall endeavor to use its resources specifically to assist and provide relief to children with vision, hearing, mobility, communication, behavior learning impairments or other special medical, environmental, health or educational needs,” read the official statement when the foundation was first organized not long after the boy’s death.

Losing Jett will be a loss both Travolta, and Preston will carry for the rest of their lives. The couple has worked hard to heal their family, which also includes a 19-year-old daughter, Ella and 8-year-old son, Ben. Jett would have been 27-years-old on April 13th.