Jimmy Kimmel did not give his usual funny monologue at the beginning of his show on Monday night. He took the time to tell his audience and viewers about the emergency heart surgery performed on his newborn son. At the beginning of his 13-minute monologue, he told his audience that what he was about to say had a happy ending, as he shared a personal family matter.
Newborn son
Jimmy and his wife Molly welcomed their second child on April 21, 2017. They named him William John, and he is being called Billy. Jimmy gives credit to an observant nurse who sensed that something was wrong.
Test results did prove that Billy was born with a heart condition, and he needed Open Heart Surgery right away.
Billy was taken by ambulance to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles where the first surgery was preformed just hours after his birth. Jimmy reported that the surgery was successful, and the baby was released from the hospital after six days. It was just one of three open heart surgeries to correct the condition. Jimmy said it was the longest three hours of his life
The next surgery is scheduled for six months from now, and the third one doesn't need to be done until Billy is a teenager. As he told the story, the host was very emotional. At the end, he asked for prayers and positive thoughts, not only for Billy, but also for all the children who are worse off than his son.
Before and after photos
Jimmy showed a before photo of Billy with tubes hooked up to his little body. Then he showed an after photo following the surgery, where Billy looked just like any other newborn. The 49-year-old made the audience laugh when he said the surgery didn't correct his face that looks like his father. He also showed a picture of him and the baby relaxing together after the big scare was over.
#JimmyKimmel's baby boy #Billy before and after open heart surgery pic.twitter.com/l0vDWHGBDs
— Anne Sewell (@anners2008) May 2, 2017
Emotional monologue
Jimmy's emotional monologue was shared on the news and other talk shows. People commended him for being transparent about such a personal story. Jimmy's monologue shed light on his absence from the show last week.
No one knew why until Monday night. The host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" said he will take the rest of the week off to be with his family, which includes his wife Molly and their 2-year-old daughter Jane, and of course, little Billy.
At the end of the show, Kimmel praised the Affordable Care Act. Surely, Kimmel can afford insurance for his family, but after what he has just encountered, he is sympathetic toward families who might not be in the same financial position.
