Jimmy Kimmel Says Son Had Third Open Heart Surgery: “Billy, You Are The Toughest 7-Year-Old We Know”
Jimmy Kimmel shared on social media that his son underwent a third open heart surgery over the Memorial Day Weekend.
The late-night talk show host dedicated a message to his son, family, and everyone involved in Billy’s surgery.
“This weekend, our boy Billy had his third (of three, we hope) open heart surgery,” Kimmel shared on Instagram. “We went into this experience with a lot of optimism and nearly as much fear and came out with a new valve inside a happy, healthy kid.”
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host praised the team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where his son Billy was treated.
“Walking around this hospital, meeting parents at their most vulnerable, children in pain and the miracle workers who do everything in their considerable power to save them is a humbling experience,” Kimmel wrote. “We hope you never need CHLA, but if you do – know that they help families regardless of their ability to pay, thanks largely to the Affordable Care Act (another salute to the late Senator John McCain), generous donations from companies like Disney, which I am proud to work for and especially from generous people like you.”
The comedian also thanked the “loving strangers who took time to pray for and send positive energy to our baby,” and also had some words for his family.
“Thank you to my wife Molly for being stronger than is reasonable for any Mom to be and Billy, you are the toughest (and funniest) 7 year-old we know,” he added. “There are so many parents and children who aren’t fortunate enough to go home after five days.”