Late-night TV runs on jokes. However, one of the best-known moments in Jimmy Kimmel’s career was deeply personal. In May 2017, he opened his show with an emotional story about his newborn son, Billy Kimmel. He also thanked the doctors and nurses who saved the baby’s life.
A frightening start with a happy ending
Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, welcomed their son, William “Billy” Kimmel, on April 21, 2017. Just hours after the birth, an attentive nurse noticed a problem. The baby’s color did not look right, and he had a heart murmur. Soon, doctors found that Billy had a heart condition. He had a blocked pulmonary valve and a hole in the wall between the two sides of his heart.
At just three days old, Billy had open-heart surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Six days later, the family brought him home. When Kimmel told the story on air, he reassured his audience right away. As he put it, the story had a happy ending.
Gratitude and a call to help others
In his monologue, Kimmel thanked the doctors, nurses and staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He also encouraged viewers to donate to the hospital so it could keep helping other families. In addition, he asked people to send kind thoughts to families whose children were still in the hospital.
Olympic snowboarder Shaun White joined the show as well. He had overcome the same heart condition, and he talked about his own experience.
How Billy Kimmel is doing today
In December 2017, at seven months old, Billy had a second successful heart surgery. Later, at a Children’s Hospital Los Angeles gala in 2022, Kimmel said his son was doing great. Still, he noted that Billy would need one more surgery in the future. He also explained that Billy’s care was a big reason he and McNearney support the hospital.
Kimmel and McNearney also have a daughter, Jane. Over the years, Kimmel has kept sharing happy updates about Billy. For example, on Billy’s fifth birthday, he thanked the doctors who saved his son’s life.