Jimmy Kimmel Reveals Son's Congenital Heart Disease: How Many Babies Are Born With CHD?

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel tried to hold back tears when he announced to his audience during a taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday that his baby son, Billy, was born with a heart defect and needed surgery. Billy is far from the only American baby with heart disease.

Up to 40,000, or nearly 1-percent, of all babies in the United States are born with congenital heart disease {CHD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mild forms for CHD are on the rise. The most common type babies suffer from is ventricular septal defect (VSD). More critical conditions, however, remained stable.

READ: Jimmy Kimmel Asks For Support Of Obamacare, Makes Emotional Plea After His Newborn Nearly Dies

Kimmel’s son was born April 21 and diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia within hours of delivery. He described it a having a tear in the left and right sides of his heart. The baby’s pulmonary valve was “completely blocked.” too.

In Billy’s case, he needed surgery right away to prepare the damage. Up to 25-percent of babies born with CHD are critical, needing surgery or “other procedures” within the first year of their lives, the CDC wrote.

Kimmel’s story, though originally sad, had a happy ending: Billy was on the mend. “I have a story to tell about something that happened to our family last week,” the host said Monday, apologizing: “I’m sorry. You know, I try not to get emotional, but it was a scary story. And before I go into it, I want you to know it has a happy ending, okay? So when I’m telling this, don’t get too upset. Leave that to me.”

His wife, Molly McNearney, took to Twitter to share an update on their son the following day. “I am thankful to love and be loved by these two brave guys. Both criers,” she tweeted to her 83,800 followers Tuesday. The post was liked nearly 4,000 times and garnered hundreds of shares.

Kimmel’s monologue Monday soon turned political, with the comedian slamming President Donald Trump for wanting to get rid of Barack Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act, better known as Obamacare.

“We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago, millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all. Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you’d never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition. You were born with a pre-existing condition. And if your parents didn’t have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition.

If your baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think that’s something that, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?”

But Kimmel didn’t remain serious the entire time. He made a joke about actor Matt Damon, who he has a (fake) long-standing feud with. “And I hate to say it — even that son of a b---- Matt Damon sent flowers.”

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