American television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel has shared the news that his son Billy recently underwent his third open-heart surgery. The 7-year-old, whom Kimmel shares with his wife Molly McNearney, was shown smiling in an Instagram post. The photo captured Billy resting in a hospital bed while Kimmel provided details about the procedure in the post’s caption.
Billy, born in 2017, was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. Shortly after his birth, Kimmel revealed that Billy had undergone open-heart surgery just three days after being born. At that time, Kimmel emotionally explained that his son had a “hole in the wall of the left and right side of his heart,” which impeded the flow of oxygen to his heart. He poignantly stated,
If your baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it should not matter how much money you make.
In his May 27 post, Kimmel expressed his gratitude to the medical professionals for their “immeasurable kindness and expertise.”
Additionally, Kimmel praised his support system, especially his wife. He wrote,
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.
Kimmel also reflected on how fortunate they were, noting that many parents do not have the opportunity to bring their children home from the hospital within a few days.