<p>I have a dear friend who lost his 8-year old son to seizure disorder. The child had suffered terrible seizures all of his life due to a traumatic birth. They tried every medication possible, then changed each time the medication became ineffective. They tried diet (the oil diet along with medication) and were preparing for surgery when the child died. There was nothing that they could have done differently and they were told that for some people, seizure disorder is a terminal illness. Perhaps that is the case here.</p>
<p>It is my understanding as well – and apparently he was on Depakote, which caused liver issues (which it very well can) … I despise how the media whips this into “parental neglect” and “he was on medications that would have saved his life, but they were withdrawn.” Sometimes there just isn’t much that can be done, and perhaps the fact that the Travoltas did have the resources to have round-the-clock care meant that the child lived longer than he might otherwise have. I despise how people are going after the Travoltas or that he’s supposed to have some “obligation” to speak to the media or release the autopsy to the public.</p>
<p>I don’t see people “going after” the Travoltas-- at least not here on cc. I see here people wondering about the possible religious influence on decision-making re:Jett’s medical care, and as most of us are not Scientologists and are not familiar with the specific “teachings”, are interested, intrigued or curious. What I do find disagreeable is the Scientology ad that is currently running on the left margin of this cc page, entitled " Get the facts". Obviously because we have typed the word in the context of the posts, it flagged the ad. I guess I don’t get why a “religion” has to advertise. Seems peculiar.</p>
<p>The Catholic church advertises here, Jym. On TV, newspapers, they even put signs on neighborhood lawns. we got one placed on our lawn and we’re not even Catholic!</p>
<p>Our church did an advertising campaign in the same media last year (no lawn signs, though), and we’re the epitome of mainstream Protestant.</p>
<p>By “here” I take it you mean in your home town, not here on CC. I’ve never noticed any religious ads on cc before, and I just find it a little peculiar. It just feels funny. I dunno how to explain it. (Are others seeing the ad to the left as well with a link to a video?)</p>
<p>Here there are some occasional billboard ads for specific churches or synagogues, but not for one whole denomination. I guess if I think about it, I have seen ads for outreach or sponsorship of a child or something that may be, for eg, sponsored by the church of the LDS. But I havent seen an ad to, say join the catholic church. What kind of tv or newspaper ads do they run? And more importantly, did they ask your permission before sticking a sign in your yard? Do you get to charge a rental fee?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hometown. No lawns on CC!</p>
<p>
Ha! No, it was an overzealous volunteer. We just removed it. There were campaigns like “Come home at Christmas” for the Archdiocese, and my church’s ad campaign was called something like “Meet us” and introduced individual members as a way of showing diversity. There are radio ads all the time for the various Collegiate churches. The ads explain the differences between the churches and encourage people to pick the one that’s right for them and come in. I don’t see anything different about what Scientology or the LDS do from what the more mainstream denominations do in terms of advertising. Maybe it’s a New York thing because everybody advertises here.</p>
<p>We see the occasional “Jesus saves” (to which my kids always add “Moses invests”) around here. Does that count? Again, generic signs like that, or an ad for or by a particular church or congregation seems more understandable than an ad by an entire denomination. But then again, my faith doesn’t do proselytizing, so perhaps thats why it seems unusual to me.</p>
<p>* I like the way Bono has used his, for example. *</p>
<p>Or Bob Geldof
- ouch*
[Geldof</a> and Bush: Diary From the Road - TIME](<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717934,00.html]Geldof”>http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717934,00.html)</p>
<p>Bush & Geldof were in Ghana together- (they arrived in Accra a few days after my younger D) & I learned Bush has poured money into Africa, but I didn’t know * Bob Geldof* was there, I was a fan , not only of the Boomtown Rats but he started WOMAD which used to be held locally that I sorely miss </p>
<p>( Ok I was wrong- * Peter Gabriel* founded WOMAD- Geldof is affiliated with Live8- a series of concerts to end world poverty- but WOMAD isn’t held in the US anymore & I won’t be going to New Zealand anytime soon)</p>
<p>It is interesting but not unexpected that there would be a crossover from entertainment to political life. Jesse Ventura, that man who is married to Maria Shriver ( don’t ask me to spell his name) Ronald Reagan- all in the public eye originally for " fun"oh and Al Franken.
Not a lot of cross over the other way although if Obama doesn’t want to run a foundation after his 8 years, he could play Will Smith.</p>
<p>I am not attacking anyone for their beliefs, but against their using that as an excuse to attack others- as happens when Cruise came out and attacked Brooke Shields, that really hit home for me.
I had familial depression that peaked at a time when the new SSRI’s were being introduced. However, every week there seemed to be an article in the paper about " happy pills" and how instead of being a wonder drug- it was for people who just wanted an easy fix and a detour from what they should really be doing- which apparently was according to articles was * JUST GET. OVER. IT. *.</p>
<p>I didn’t like taking medication , ( my father died in his early 40’s from an overdose of prescription meds & my mother has been off and on heavy hitters like Thorazine), so I was vulnerable to any suggestion that I was harming myself and taking the easy way out. I went cold turkey & and went off the deep end. ( but I am fine now- my hormones stabilized 
)</p>
<p>So while I am more tolerant/supportive of entertainers expressing positive things like raising money for AIDS research, or tips on going green like Ed Begley jr, I have a knee-jerk reaction to celebrities criticizing health care decisions made by others.</p>
<p>And no, apparently a direct transcript has not been released of that Cruise interview, but if you do a search you can find a youtube video of Cruise ranting on the Today show- what set him off was apparently Brooke Shields use of antidepressants.
[Shields response in the NYT](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/opinion/01shields.html”>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/opinion/01shields.html</a>)
They eventually made up- I think he realized how that was not good for his image- but jumping on the couch on national television surely gets him much press.</p>
<p>I hadn’t heard that the Travoltas testified about diagnosis criteria ( or what were they actually testifying about? wasn’t it something connected to carpet cleaning?), I think it would be more proper for them to have testified about something that they actually knew something about and connected to their work- such as censorship or ticket prices, like Pearl Jam did, when they testified to Congress about the Ticketmaster monopoly
isn’t it impressive how I can work Pearl Jam into almost every thread- <B</p>
<p>I don’t know alot about many offbeat religions- although the Love Family ( which is really justa big 'ol hippie commune) was nearby for several years, and I have read alot about the LDS church as my sister converted when she was 16 and my anthro prof received death threats after he wrote a book debunking some of their claims. But I think when a religion dictates health care ( even more so than the LDS church banning coffee & alcohol), it can harm their followers, and it does sound like Scientology actively discourages medication prescribed to treat brain related illnesses.</p>
<p>
[Tom</a> Cruise, Scientology Bash Psychiatry; APA Fires Back (Skeptical Inquirer September/October 2005)](<a href=“http://www.csicop.org/si/2005-09/tom-cruise.html]Tom”>http://www.csicop.org/si/2005-09/tom-cruise.html)</p>
<p>But- Jett was a teen and even if he had been prescribed Depakote and his family encouraged him to take it against Scientology beliefs, he could have stopped taking it on his own. Medications that have been used to treat major illnesses like epilepsy and bi-polar disorder, have major side effects & people stop taking the drugs all the time because of the side effects.
[url=<a href="‘AVOIDABLE’ DEATH’ DEATH - New York Post<a href=“which%20was%20also%20another%20reason%20why%20I%20hated%20taking%20anti-depressants”>/url</a></p>
<p>EK-
I totally agree with you that Cruise did serious harm to his career after the three events (couch jumping, criticizing Brooke Shields and having a serious attitude problem with Matt Lauer) and has no business imposing his religious beliefs, when it comes to medical or especially mental health issues, on others. He is a loose cannon. Travolta, fortunately, is not. However, I have to wonder why you think Jett might have stopped his own meds? The quote from their attorney said the meds were d/c’d when they were having toxic efects on his liver. I have not seen anything that ever indicated he was noncompliant in his behavior or with his meds. I suppose he could have “cheeked” his meds, but I’ve not seen any indication that that occurred. All they would have to do is draw a blood level to see how much was in his system. Given the reports that they were monitoring his liver function, it sounds like they were keeping an eye on whether the meds themselves were in the therapeutic range in is system.</p>
<p>TC is going to be on The View on Thursday. Warning, have barf bags close by. :(</p>
<p>If he was on Depakote- it is really sedating- I have known people with epilepsy who have stopped it just because they are tired of feeling like that.</p>
<p>I hadn’t read that his medication was stopped but that is probably the reason for the seizure.</p>
<p>If he was on Depakote- it is really sedating- I have known people with epilepsy who have stopped it just because they are tired of feeling like that.</p>
<p>I hadn’t read that his medication was stopped but that is probably the reason for the seizure.</p>
<p>EK_
See post #21 for the family’s attorney’s statement re: Jett’s medication timetable. I have not heard any evidence that Jet did not take any medication that was given to him.</p>