Rogers and Cowan via Getty Image;Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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Kelly Preston and John Travolta experienced every parent's nightmare when their autistic son Jett died of a seizure at 16 years old. In a new interview with Health magazine, Preston, 48, reveals how she got through the tough times to appreciate the joy of motherhood once more. And, when asked who helped her the most, Preston says she relied on the trifecta of family, friends and religion.
"Johnny is definitely my rock," says Preston, who married Travolta, now 57, in 1991. "Kirstie (Alley) is one of my absolute best friends. My mom, my brother. And to be honest, the Scientology center. I don't know if I would have made it through without it. We've been able to navigate through it and to come to a place that is a lot better."
The year after Jett's death in 2009, the Travoltas learned that Kelly was pregnant once more. And on Nov. 23, 2010, she gave birth to baby Benjamin.
"We had been trying for quite a few years, and then of course there was a time when we weren't, and then we started trying again," explains Preston. "When I found out I was pregnant, I was floored. I'd snuck out of bed and then came back and woke Johnny up in bed. We both started crying. It was wonderful."
Their older daughter, Ella Bleu, 11, was also grateful -- for a different reason.
"I absolutely adore my kids. Johnny and I love them up constantly," says the proud mom. "Ella's like, 'Mom, ugh! Thank god you had Ben because now he can take some of the kisses!' And Johnny sings to them -- a lot of Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand."
The actress, who will soon star alongside her husband and daughter in Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father, says she's "always wanted to be a mother," ever since she would babysit at age 11. She even has a tendency to adopt those around her, like Last Song costar Miley Cyrus.
"Miley texted me the other day, and said, 'I'm still taking my vitamins, Second Mama!' She calls me Second Mama," Preston boasts.
To honor Jett's memory, Preston and Travolta have founded the
