Jenny McCarthy: My Heart Goes Out to the Travolta Family
Thursday January 15, 2009
Jenny McCarthy, who almost lost her son, Evan, to a seizure, is speaking out about the death of John Travolta's 16-year-old son.
"When I first heard the news about Jett, I slowly kind of sat down...because my heart went out to them -- you know, such compassion and understanding for what they've gone through," McCarthy told Access Hollywood.
See John Travolta's family album.
McCarthy told Us late last year that she helped her 6-year-old son recover from autism, but he still suffers from seizures.
"Last year, Evan had another seizure where he seized for seven hours on and off," McCarthy said. "We had to put him in a coma for four days so he wouldn't go into cardiac arrest.
"So looking at Jett, I cried out of fear for my own son, and for, I can't even tell you how many children, with autism," she added.
Although it's been reported in the past that Jett suffers from autism, his parents have said he was diagnosed with Kawasaki Syndrome. His Jan. 2 death in the Bahamas was caused by a seizure disorder.
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McCarthy, an outspoken autism advocate, says that if Jett did in fact have autism, she understands why Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, kept it out of the news.
"It's very difficult to go places where everyone sees who you are and then their eyes immediately go to the child -- because they know what the diagnosis is -- and they stare at the child," she said. "And no one ever wants that feeling, so they tend to keep it quiet.
"They should have the right to keep whatever they want to themselves, and share what they want with the world," she added.
