Entertainment

TV host breaks down on live TV over new baby’s health issues

May 03, 2017

Jimmy Kimmel posted this picture on Twitter of his family after they were able to bring William home from hospital following surgery.

Jimmy Kimmel has revealed the heartbreaking story surrounding the birth of his son.

While he is well known to US audiences, and those who watch Foxtel’s The Comedy Channel, for his show Jimmy Kimmel Live, Australian viewers might remember him more for his role in hosting the Academy Awards this year.

Kimmel, with wife Molly McNearney and daughter Jane, welcomed their second child William, on April 21. However only three hours later it was noticed that there was something wrong, and he needed open heart surgery.

On his show this week Kimmel explained the story, while trying to hold back tears. He described how the diagnosis went about, thanks to a nurse who noticed ‘Billy’ was not the colour he should be. Several times during the story Kimmel has to battle his emotions to continue talking “On Monday morning, Dr. Vaughn Starnes opened his chest and fixed one of the two defects in his heart,” Kimmel said. “He went in there with a scalpel and did some kind of magic that I couldn’t even begin to explain. He opened the valve, and the operation was a success. It was the longest three hours of my life.” All went with with the operation and they were able to take William home on the weekend, although he will have to have further surgery when he is bigger.

Kimmel showed a picture of Billy covered in tubes and then one of him out of hospital. “Poor kid, not only did he get a bad heart he got my face.” He went on to say how Billy was doing following surgery. “He’s doing great. He’s eating. He’s sleeping. He peed on his mother today while she was changing his diaper. He’s doing all the things that he’s supposed to do,” Jimmy joked. “This is the best.”

He went on to thank his wife for being so strong and levelheaded and positive and loving during the worst nightmare a new mother could experience. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner. I’m so happy we had this baby together. I’m definitely getting a vasectomy after this.”