The talk show host spoke about his son’s life-saving surgeries at a benefit for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where his son was treated
Jimmy Kimmel‘s son is doing amazingly well.
The talk show host, 54, and his wife, Molly McNearney, attended the 2022 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala on Saturday. He told reporters about their 5-year-old son, Billy, who was born with a congenital heart defect and is being treated in the hospital.
“He’s doing great. He still needs one open-heart surgery, but he’s doing great,” Kimmel said, adding that Billy is “one big reason” for the couple to attend and support the charity.
“He’s not that big,” Kimmel joked. “He’s about three feet tall.”
He also mentioned that his son was not interested in galas or even his own procedures.
“He has no idea what we’re up to [tonight], nor would he care,” Kimmel laughed. “I tried to explain the heart surgery to him because he has a bit of scar down the center of his chest, and he has almost no interest.”
Kimmel and McNearney, 43, overcame a difficult first year with their baby boy, who was born with the congenital heart condition tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and required three heart surgeries (one at the age of three days).
The late-night host told reporters that his support for the hospital was personal.
“Our son, Billy, had two open-heart surgeries here, he was born with two heart defects, and they fixed them up real good, so we’re very grateful,” Kimmel explained.
He also said that although he’s been involved with the charity since “long before” Billy was born, they never thought their family would be receiving care from the organization.
“We never imagined that this organization that we’d supported financially and by hosting events for them would be a place that we needed to go — so that came as a bit of a shock, but it all worked out,” he told reporters.
Kimmel celebrated his son’s fifth birthday in April by posting a sweet message on Instagram in which he showed respect to the doctors and nurses who helped in Billy’s survival.
“Happy 5th birthday to our little nut. We are eternally grateful to the brilliant doctors and nurses at @ChildrensLA & @CedarsSinai for saving Billy’s life and to those of you whose donations, prayers and positive thoughts meant everything,” Kimmel wrote. “Please support families who need medical care. Link in bio. 💙”