Jimmy Kimmel updates fans after his son's third heart surgery

Jimmy Kimmel is one of the more transparent talk show hosts when it comes to his personal life. He famously detailed the health struggles that his son went through during a 2017 monologue, and has continued to provide updates on his son's progression as he gets older. He continued this trend over Memorial Day weekend.

Kimmel posted an Instagram photo of his son Billy after he underwent his third heart surgery. "This weekend, our boy Billy had his third (of three, we hope) open heart surgery," he wrote, "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."

Jimmy Kimmel praised his family on Instagram

The talk show host, famous for his flippant sense of humor, was incredibly appreciate and sincere in his account of what happened. He thanked several of the medical practitioners who helped his son by name, and detailed how humbling it was to meet other parents who were undergoing similarly difficult periods in their child's lives.

The former host of The Man Show also credited his wife, Molly, for staying strong throughout the ordeal. "[Thanks to my] wife Molly for being stronger than is reasonable for any Mom to be," he wrote. "And Billy, you are the toughest (and funniest) 7 year-old we know."

The host has been updating fans since 2017

Regular viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! know about the host's son, but the aforementioned monologue that he gave regarding his son's heart complications actually transcended the usual audience of the show. The monologue became one of the most viewed clips in the show's history, and Kimmel was universally praised for his willingness to be open and vulnerable on television.

Kimmel has periodically given updates on Billy's condition since his 2017 monologue. He told Us Weekly that his son was doing "great" in 2019, and had decided who his favorite superhero was. "He thinks he’s Spider-Man now, so we’re safe from crime," he explained. "He wears the costume all the time. He’s shooting webs all over the house." We're happy to know that Billy is doing well!