Jimmy Kimmel tearfully tells of newborn son’s heart surgery

Talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel used his opening monologue to tell a very unfunny story Monday night, May 1.

Kimmel describe his emotions upon learning that his newborn son had a deadly heart defect.

Unlike his usually carefully rehearsed performance Kimmel was open and vulnerable while telling the tale. He teared up, his voice cracked—he talked to the audience as friends, even managing to inject a little humor at key points to lighten the mood, though Kimmel was on the verge of breaking down.

Here is how he described first learning that his son had a serious heart defect: “So now more doctors and nurses and equipment come in and—it’s a terrifying thing. My wife is back in the recovery room—she has no idea what’s going on. And I’m standing in the middle of a lot of very worried people—kind of like right now—who are trying to figure out what the problem is.”

The joke brought some chuckles, but the audience was plainly as moved as the host by the scenario he was describing.

Kimmel described how his son had a blocked valve and holes between the two sides of his heart. A successful surgery opened the valve, so the child could get enough oxygen to live. More will be needed to patch the holes.

A further procedure will be needed to replace the valve but that could happen in a dozen years.

Kimmel praised the nurses and surgeons who helped his son, not effusively but sincerely. His gratitude was evident, and obviously too great to express with words.

Kimmel was able to end with a joke.

He showed a picture of his son in a neonatal care unit, bandaged, with tubes in his veins and sensors stuck all over him, “This poor kid, this is what he looked like on Monday.”

He showed another picture, of his son sitting up smiling broadly.

“This is what he looked like yesterday when we brought him home.

“Poor kid—not only did he get a bad heart he got my face.”