This Guy Lost His First Love Due to Breast Cancer 43 Years before He Lost This Girl

• The famous actor in the cover photo (on the left) has faced a lot of devastation throughout his life.
• He lost his first love to breast cancer 43 years before losing the woman in the other cover image (on the right) to the same illness.
• The Hollywood icon also tragically lost one of his kids when his son was only 16 years old.

The Hollywood film legend in the cover image is revered as an incredible actor who has built an illustrious career. Moreso than that, he is a doting dad to his children and has been a devoted husband.

Concerning his personal life, the silver screen icon has experienced a great deal of loss. Three years ago, he tragically lost his beloved wife (the woman in the cover photo on the right), whom he was married to for over two decades.

The famous actor's wife, who also had a successful career in the entertainment industry, sadly lost her life after a two-year battle with breast cancer. Of his significant loss, the devastated entertainer disclosed:

"...She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. 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..."

To add insult to injury, eleven years before losing his beloved wife, the couple lost their eldest son. The young boy was only 16 years old when he suffered a seizure and hit his head while in the bathtub during a family vacation. He was then declared dead by the hospital he was taken to.

An article published by a news outlet reported that the boy had a history of seizures. This was also confirmed by his late mother, who previously did an interview where she spoke about the fact that the little boy started experiencing symptoms and became very ill at age two before doctors diagnosed him with Kawasaki disease.

The bereaved parents referred to here are none other than the famous late actress Kelly Preston and iconic actor John Travolta. Years prior to the loss of their son and Travolta marrying and losing Preston, the "Pulp Fiction" star endured the loss of his first love to the same illness Preston died of.

43 Years before Losing Kelly Preston, John Travolta Lost His First Love to the Same Illness

At just 23 years old and at the height of his career, having finished playing a prominent role in the hugely successful franchise film "Saturday Night Fever," Travolta faced great sorrow. He watched his first love, Diana Hyland, pass away from breast cancer at 41.

The highly accomplished actress, famously known for her matriarch role in "Eight Is Enough," had undergone a mastectomy two years before she died, and according to her then-partner, she had no inclination she was going to die until two weeks before her life was taken. In fact, the "Grease" talent divulged:

"...when I first knew her...there was a possibility it would never happen."

When this was still their perspective on Hyland's health status, Travolta traveled to film "Saturday Night Fever" while she went ahead and filmed the first four episodes of her show, and the two would talk for hours over the phone each night. However, when Hyland's death drew closer, Travolta returned to be with her.

On the last day of her life, the two took a walk together in a garden. By the time March 27, 1977, rolled around, Hyland was gone:

"I felt the breath go out of her."

A memorial service was held for Hyland, where Travolta wore a white suit the former couple had picked out together for a trip they had previously planned. The iconic actor said he leaned on his Scientology faith to get him through what he deemed the most challenging weeks of his life.

In a previous interview, Preston and Travolta shared some insights into their relationship.

Travolta once confessed that he had never been more in love with anyone in his entire life than with Hyland, so naturally, her death was devastating for him. Their unfinished love story saw him planning to live together with "The Chase" star in the house he bought.

He even said that had she been alive, there was a real possibility of the two tying the knot. During their seven months together, the lovebirds would jet off to Palm Springs, New York, and Big Bear Lake every weekend. Of his time with Hyland and how he felt after she died, Travolta explained:

"I had more fun with Diana than I ever had in my life...I always feel she is with me—I mean her intentions are. Diana always wanted the world for me in every possible way."

How John Travolta and Kelly Preston Met and Started Their Love Story

Acquiring the world is just what the Hollywood legend did when he found love again with Preston years later. The duo met while doing a screen test for "The Experts" in 1989, but Preston was married to another actor at the time.

However, that didn't stop the two from noticing each other instantly. In fact, Travolta quite literally described their chemistry as immediate during their initial encounter.

Travolta was smitten with the married woman, who he thought was stunning, and so couldn't help but strike up a conversation with her. The charming actor was not the only one feeling the romantic sparks fly as Preston agreed with their immediate gravitation toward one another in a previous interview, and of her partner, she gushed:

"Nicest guy you've ever met. The sweetest."

Even a mutual friend of the couple foreshadowed that the two would wind up together. Lo and behold, a short while after dating, Travolta popped the question on New Year's Eve with a six-carat diamond engagement ring.

From there, the rest was history. Over the next two decades, the loved-up couple built a beautiful family together and cherished their beautiful love story with fun nights out dancing, practicing their faith in Scientology, and spending good old-fashioned quality time together with their kids.

In a previous interview, Preston and Travolta shared some insights into their relationship. During that conversation, the pair divulged what their secret was to a long and happy marriage. Regarding this, Preston disclosed:

"I think that we were just right together, that we picked the right people and keeping it honest and communicating and checking in with each other."

Preston also went on to emphasize that a relationship takes work, and one of the most important things for one to remember is to keep the fun alive between the two parties.

Although Preston is sadly no longer around, Travolta and their kids remain grateful for the incredible time they got to share with her and continue to keep her memory alive.