publish time

28/05/2024

author name Arab Times

publish time

28/05/2024

Jimmy Kimmel

KUWAIT CITY, May 28: Jimmy Kimmel's 7-year-old son, Billy, is recovering well after undergoing his third open-heart surgery. The late-night talk show host shared the news on Memorial Day, revealing that Billy needed a new heart valve, which was successfully replaced by a team of surgeons at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

Kimmel expressed his relief and gratitude in an Instagram post, sharing a photo of Billy smiling from his hospital bed. "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," Kimmel wrote. He described the experience as humbling, acknowledging the strength and resilience of the children, parents, and medical professionals he encountered at the hospital.

In his heartfelt message, Kimmel thanked the "loving strangers" who prayed for Billy, as well as their family and friends for their unwavering support. He also praised his wife, Molly McNearney, for her incredible strength throughout their son's medical journey. "Billy, you are the toughest (and funniest) 7-year-old we know," Kimmel concluded.

Billy's medical challenges began shortly after his birth in May 2017, when Kimmel revealed that his son had been born with a treatable heart condition. Billy underwent his first surgery immediately after birth, which Kimmel described as "the longest three hours of my life." A second surgery followed in December 2017, and this recent operation is expected to be the final one Billy will need.

In addition to Billy, Kimmel, and McNearney share a 9-year-old daughter, Jane. Kimmel also has two adult children, Katie, 32, and Kevin, 30, from his previous marriage to Gina Maddy.