A Tight-Knit Clan
- Actor and pilot John Travolta, 67, flew his plane across the pond to scoop up his daughter Ella after she wrapped on her new film, Get Lost, which his son Ben also had a cameo in.
- The family lost wife and mother Kelly Preston to breast cancer last year after a private two-year battle.
- Support from family and loved ones after the death of a parent or spouse is crucial, and it’s always okay to ask for help.
View this post on Instagram
Ella, 21, raved about her “incredible” experience acting in her first big film, which was written and directed by Daniela Amavia.
“Budapest has been a dream and most importantly I've gotten to meet and work with so many amazing people,” she shared. “Thank you so so much to all of the cast and crew who worked so hard on this film and brought everything to life so beautifully. Thank you to our wonderful director, Daniela, for your kindness and guidance always. And to our stellar producers, for everything you do.”
View this post on Instagram
Family First
Ella’s dad and her late mother, Kelly Preston, who the family lost to breast cancer last July, acted in films well before she was born, and they’ve obviously taught her a thing or two about gratitude. Now she’s following in their footsteps and her dad is often playing the role of proud papa on his social media. The family has always seemed close, but after experiencing their great loss, they have displayed even more of a united front, never hesitating to lift each other up.
“Daddy, You make parenting look so easy, though it not always is,” Ella expressed recently about her supportive dad. “You make everyday better than the one before it. You bring joy to us when we are down. You are our best friend and we love you to the moon and back around. I hope to be even half as good of a parent as you someday.”
View this post on Instagram
Being a single parent after losing a spouse can be understandably tough, and Travolta has made it evident how close he is with his kids and has appeared to have been putting family first these days.
Kelly Preston’s Private Battle
Kelly Preston fought a private battle for two years before passing from the disease in July 2020 at 57 years old. It is unclear what Preston's treatment plan was, though breast cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy radiation or surgery.
A true class act, Travolta thanked Kelly’s medical team at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. "My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side," he said.
View this post on Instagram
This was not the Travolta family’s first tragic loss. In 2009, the couple lost their firstborn son Jett, who had autism. He had a seizure and hit his head at the family’s home in the Bahamas. The Travolta family has endured so much loss, that is why it is so important to cherish your loved ones each and every day. Life is precious, and prioritizing family is a must during uncertain times.
Support After a Tragedy
23-year-old Camila Legaspi talked to SurvivorNet in a previous interview about how much therapy helped after she lost her mom to cancer, and urges anyone going through a similar situation to reach out for the help they need, as it really makes a difference.
Legaspi was in high school when she lost her mother to breast cancer. Naturally, the experience of watching her mom face the disease took a huge toll on her emotionally. Having a parent go through cancer, especially at such a young age, is incredibly challenging for the whole family.
So after her mom, Gabriela, passed away Camila decided to start seeing a therapist, and she told us that having someone there to simply talk things through with made a huge difference to help her to appreciate all the great things she still had in her life.
"Embrace the situation as best as you can, because the reality is … that it sucks," Camila said.
Camila recommends that anyone going through a similar situation and dealing with loss reach out for help if they need it it's OK to not be OK for awhile.
"Therapy saved my life," she said. "I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on. Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me … that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings."
"The reality is when you lose someone, it's really, really, really hard. And it's totally OK to talk to someone, and I'm so happy that I talked to my therapist," she added.
‘Therapy Saved My Life’: After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.