Always in their hearts. John Travolta and Kelly Preston shared heartfelt tributes to their late son, Jett, on what would have been his 28th birthday.
“Happy Birthday Jetty! We love you! ❤️,” the Grease star, 66, wrote via Instagram on Monday, April 13, alongside a black-and-white photo of himself and Jett smiling at each other.
The actress, 57, also shared a throwback photo with their late son on her page, writing, “Happy Birthday to our sweetest Jetty, we love you!! 💖.”
Jett died at the age of 16 on January 2, 2009, during a holiday vacation in the Bahamas with his family. It was later revealed that the teen — who was autistic and had Kawasaki disease, a condition that causes blood vessels to become inflamed — had suffered a seizure that caused him to hit his head on a bathtub.
Travolta and Preston, who tied the knot in September 1991, are also the parents of daughter Ella, 20, and son Benjamin, 9.
Earlier this month, the Mischief star shared a rare photo with Ella, Jett and Travolta via Instagram in honor of National Autism Awareness Month.
“I have a special place in my heart for those with autism and special needs. Sending love to some of my favorite people in the world,” she captioned the April 3 post. “My son Jetty was one of the most playful and wonderful souls you’ve ever met. Love to all of you with autism and special needs around the world.”
The Saturday Night Fever star told Us Weekly exclusively in January 2019 that although he and his wife have had successful, decades-long acting careers, their family remains their top priority.
“Our children keep our interest in life very high,” he said at the time. “Their future is very important to us.”
Travolta also credited the Church of Scientology with helping him get through the years after Jett’s sudden death.
“The church never left our sides,” he told Us. “I don’t know if I would have made it through without their support. … Our church is the No. 1 thing that keeps us grounded.”
