Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took to Twitter on Tuesday to thank well-wishers, after revealing on Monday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that his newborn son Billy had open-heart surgery shortly after his birth.
Kimmel displayed his gratitude with a photo of his son, along with his wife Molly McNearney and their daughter Jane, who’s depicted holding a toy stethoscope to her younger sibling’s chest.
The ABC late-night host also told fans that his newborn son is “very well.”
“Sincere thanks for the outpouring of love & support – Dr. Jane is keeping a close ear on Billy, who is very well – XO,” Kimmel wrote.
During Monday night’s episode of his show, Kimmel told the audience of his son’s situation while fighting back tears.
“I try not to get emotional, but it was a scary story,” the late-night host said in his opening monologue. “But before I go into it, I want you to know that it has a happy ending.”
sincere thanks for the outpouring of love & support – Dr. Jane is keeping a close ear on Billy, who is very well – XO pic.twitter.com/QgSUminhmg
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 2, 2017
Kimmel went on to say that William “Billy” Kimmel, who was born on Friday, April 21, to Kimmel and McNearney, had successful open heart surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is now home with his family.
“He appeared to be a normal, healthy baby until about three hours after he was born,” Kimmel said. He added that a very attentive nurse at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills heard a murmur in his heart and saw he was purple.
“It’s a terrifying thing, my wife is in the recovery room and she has no idea what is going on, and I am standing in the middle of a lot of worried-looking people,” he continued.
Specialists diagnosed that Billy was born with a heart disease that blocked his pulmonary valve. Kimmel’s and Molly’s second child together then underwent emergency surgery.
Since making the disclosure, Kimmel has received an outpouring of support, including former president Barack Obama. (Kimmel closed the monologue by praising the Affordable Care Act and calling on Americans to rise above party lines to protect access to healthcare in America.)
“Well said, Jimmy,” Obama wrote. “That’s exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy. And congratulations!”
sincere thanks for the outpouring of love & support – Dr. Jane is keeping a close ear on Billy, who is very well – XO pic.twitter.com/QgSUminhmg
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 2, 2017