Jimmy Kimmel recently shared an important update on the health of his seven-year-old son, Billy, who underwent his third open-heart surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Kimmel expressed a mix of optimism and fear ahead of the surgery: Our boy Billy had his third (of three, we hope) open heart surgery. 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
(Billy’s smile in hospital pic as below).
In his message, Kimmel gratefully acknowledged the efforts of those who prayed for Billy during these challenging moments and gave special thanks to the incredible medical team. He praised Billy’s doctors: Led by the brilliant surgeon Vaughn Starnes, cardiologist Tim Casarez and the excellent, hard-working staff, doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners at CHLA
. The attention to detail and care from this hospital continues to be a cornerstone of Kimmel’s gratitude. 
Facing Tough Times with Courage
The late-night host opened up about the emotional turmoil experienced during Billy’s initial diagnosis. When Billy was born with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia, an immediate series of treatments were required just hours after birth. Kimmel first revealed this to the world in 2017 through an emotional monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, sharing that Billy’s health condition was discovered when he was just three hours old. 
Billy’s Battle Continues
Kimmel often updates his fans about Billy’s progress. He reflected on the experiences at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, underscoring both the physically and emotionally strenuous environment: 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
. Despite these challenges, Billy’s resilience remains a beacon of hope for his family.
A Message of Thanks and Advocacy
Kimmel also acknowledged his wife Molly McNearney for her unwavering strength throughout these trying times: Thank you to my wife Molly for being stronger than is reasonable for any Mom to be
. Notably, there was no direct mention of McNearney in older updates regarding Billy’s health.
The late-night show host continues to use his platform to advocate for comprehensive health coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions and highlights the essential work performed by children’s hospitals across the nation: There are so many parents and children who aren’t fortunate enough to go home after five days
.
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