Jimmy Kimmel’s son Billy, 7, undergoes third open-heart surgery: ‘A lot of optimism’ and ‘fear’

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel revealed over the weekend that his 7-year-old son, Billy, underwent his third open-heart surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

“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,” he captioned an Instagram photo of his son resting and smiling in a hospital bed.

“Once again 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, including, but certainly not limited to Misty, Ann, Sylvia, Dana, Caleigh, Nick, Bekah, Julie, Kenny, Caroline, Lisa, Stephanie, Ellize, Ivy, Pam and Carrie came through for us with immeasurable kindness and expertise.”

“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,” he went on.

Jimmy Kimmel and family attend Hammer Museum K.A.M.P. in 2018.Getty Images for Hammer Museum
“We hope you never need CHLA, but if you do — know that they help families regardless of their ability to pay, thanks largely to the Affordable Care Act (another salute to the late Senator John McCain), generous donations from companies like Disney, which I am proud to work for and especially from generous people like you.”

The Oscars host also thanked Dr. Paul Viviano and “the loving strangers who took time to pray for and send positive energy to our baby.”

Billy Kimmel after his third open-heart surgery.Jimmy Kimmel / Instagram

Billy Kimmel celebrating his third birthday.jimmykimmel/Instagram
“Thanks to our family and friends for rallying around us to an almost-ridiculous extent, thank you to my wife Molly for being stronger than is reasonable for any Mom to be and Billy, you are the toughest (and funniest) 7 year-old we know,” he gushed. “There are so many parents and children who aren’t fortunate enough to go home after five days.”

Jimmy Kimmel’s son underwent his first open-heart surgery in May 2017.jimmykimmel/Instagram

Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney at the Emmy Awards in 2022.AFP via Getty ImagesBilly underwent his first surgery in May 2017 after Kimmel revealed his son was born with a treatable diseased heart in an emotional “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” monologue. He’d go on to have his second open-heart surgery in December 2017.

The late-night host and his wife, Molly McNearney, are also parents of daughter Jane, 9. Kimmel also shares daughter Katie, 32, and son Kevin, 30, with his ex-wife Gina Maddy.