Jimmy Kimmel’s baby’s heart condition explained

The hole-in-the-heart problem that plagues comedian Jimmy Kimmel‘s newborn son is one of the most common heart-related birth defects, and it usually can be fixed with surgery.

Some people even live with it for several years before it’s detected although the Kimmel baby’s is the most severe form and was noticed just a few hours after his birth in Los Angeles on April 21.

On his show Monday night, the comedian tearfully described the emergency operation needed after his son, William John, was found to have tetralogy of Fallot.

Here, we explain the condition.

Jimmy Kimmel, left, and his pregnant wife Molly McNearney at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in February. Their baby William John was born on April 21 – and instantly diagnosed with a hole in his heart. It is one of the most common heart-related birth defects, but his case was severe

THINGS NOT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE

Tetralogy means four, a cluster of that many defects. The main one is a hole or opening in the wall separating the two sides of the heart. 

In a normal heart, the right side pumps oxygen-depleted, or blue blood from other parts of the body to the lungs to get more oxygen. The left side then pumps this oxygen-rich, red blood to the rest of the body.

These types of blood should stay separated, but a hole in the heart wall lets them mix, so some blood without enough oxygen winds up getting pumped out into the body.

This can be complicated by a second problem the Kimmel baby has – pulmonary atresia, a severely blocked heart valve, which prevents enough blood from reaching the lungs.

Kimmel shared this photo of his son William ‘Billy’ Kimmel shortly after he was born and rushed into emergency surgery for a hole in his heart

WHAT CAUSES THE DEFECT?

Usually the cause isn’t known, although it is more common in children with certain conditions such as Down syndrome.

In some cases, genes may play a role. Or it may just be a fluke, the result of abnormal development in the womb.

WHAT SURGERY DOES

Kimmel said the open-heart operation was to open the blocked valve so there’s better blood flow. It’s not known what else was done to address the other problems. Billy came home six days after that and is ‘doing great,’ his father said. 

The baby will need a second surgery within six months to fix the hole. Doctors often place a patch to close the opening, although there are a couple other possible solutions.

‘They are getting him bigger until he can do a more comprehensive repair,’ explained Dr. Peace Madueme, a pediatric cardiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He has no knowledge of the Kimmel case and just discussed what’s usually done.

Kimmel said his son would need a third operation in his teens.

‘That usually is a pulmonary valve replacement,’ which sometimes can be done through blood vessels rather than in an open-heart operation, Madueme said.

WHAT’S AHEAD

‘Lifestyle-wise, kids with tetralogy do really well, normal daily activities,’ Madueme said, citing Shaun White, the Olympic gold medal snowboarder with the same defect. 

White appeared on Kimmel’s show Monday night to talk about his case.

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Tearful Jimmy Kimmel broke down on air as he revealed his 10-day-old son had lifesaving heart surgery just HOURS after he was born

An emotional Jimmy Kimmel tearfully revealed his baby son had to have lifesaving open-heart surgery soon after he was born 10 days ago.

The late night TV host opened his show on Monday with the news that his wife Molly McNearney, 39, had given birth to their second child, William ‘Billy’ Kimmel, on April 21 in Los Angeles.

But Kimmel, 49, quickly broke down as he detailed the terrifying health troubles Billy had endured and that he had successfully undergone risky heart surgery after he was born.

‘It is a scary story… but it has a happy ending,’ he said as he began a teary 15-minute opening monologue. 

Jimmy Kimmel opened his show on Monday with the news that his wife Molly had given birth to their second child, William ‘Billy’ Kimmel, on April 21 in Los Angeles

Kimmel, his wife, their two-year-old daughter Jane and Billy were in the recovery room three hours later at Cedars Sinai Medical Center when a nurse noticed a murmur in the newborn’s heart. 

‘He appeared a normal healthy baby,’ he said. 

‘My wife was in bed relaxing, a very attentive nurse at Cedars-Sinai heard a murmur in his heart and noticed he was a bit purple, which is not common.

‘(The doctors) determined he wasn’t getting enough oxygen in his blood, either in his heart or lungs. They did an x-ray and his lungs were fine, which meant his heart wasn’t. It’s a terrifying thing.’ 

‘They found that Billy was born with a heart disease.’

Kimmel said the congenital heart disease meant his son had a ‘hole in the wall of the left and right side of his heart’.  

Billy was rushed to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for emergency heart surgery.

Kimmel said the surgery was a success but Billy will have to have another surgery in three to six months and a third non-evasive surgery when he’s older.

Kimmel said Billy had successfully undergone the risky heart surgery and was able to go home with Molly and their two-year-old daughter Jane

He broke down as he shared a photo of Billy in intensive care with tubes coming out of his little body. 

Kimmel then showed a picture of the newborn following his successful surgery. 

Kimmel revealed they were allowed to take their son home six days after the surgery. 

He emotionally thanked a number of people, including the doctors and nurses who helped Billy.

‘Every one of my friends was there 100 per cent. We had atheists praying for us, okay? We had people who do not believe in God praying to him. And I hate to even say, but even that son-of-a-b***h Matt Damon sent flowers,’ he said. 

‘Most of all, I want to thank my wife Molly. First of all, for allowing me to have sex with her in the first place,’ he joked. ‘But also for being so strong and level-headed and positive and loving during the worst nightmare a new mother could experience. 

‘I couldn’t as for a better partner and I’m so happy we had this baby together. I’m definitely getting a vasectomy after this.’ 

He also urged his audience to donate to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and pleaded with politicians to make sure all Americans, regardless of wealth, have access to healthcare.

‘If your baby is going to die it should’t matter how much money you make,’ he said.

‘I hope you never have to go there but if you do you’ll see so many kids from so many financial backgrounds being cared for so well with so much compassion.’