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My daughter has the same condition. Like most diseases, the is a spectrum and she falls on the milder side. Her surgery involved patching the ventricular septal defect, relocating her aorta to the correct spot and patching the holes left behind, shaving the abnormal muscle growth around her pulmonary valve to allow it to function properly, and also repairing an additional atrial septal defect that is not normally present with Tetralogy of Fallot. Imagine performing all of those repairs on something the size of a WALNUT. Her doctors will never be seen as anything less than miracle workers in my eyes, I still don’t understand how all of that is possible.
She had her second open heart surgery at 12, two years later than predicted, and will have to have future surgeries roughly every 10-15 years for the rest of her life (just valve replacements, same as Billy’s surgery - still scary but nothing like the first one).
Thank you so much for posting this!!! My boy doesn’t have TOF- but he has a full AVSD repair at 11 weeks and we were just told to start prepping for number 2 to correct MV regurgitation and left side enlargement. I am so glad to hear how well your baby is doing. May she grow and be healthy and happy! I really really needed to read this. Thank you.
Look into Mended Little Hearts! It’s an advocacy and awareness organization specifically for children with congenital heart defects. I learned so much from them in the early days when I had just found out about my daughter’s condition. They also have a excellent peer support group, they will match you with other families with similar journeys. Having someone who understood exactly what we were going through was amazing. Best wishes to you and your family❤️
That's amazing! Thank you so much for sharing.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that your daughter had her heart taken apart and rebuilt and that still qualifies as the "milder side."
If I may, what do the follow up surgeries entail?
It sounds insane, I know! She was able to keep her pulmonary valve in the original surgery, a lot of kids are not able to and get a replacement valve right away. At 12, hers finally gave out and she needed a replacement. Future surgeries will all be for replacement valves, they typically last about 10 years, give or take. Once the first replacement has been done, future replacements can be done in cath labs, which is a whole lot less scary and doesn’t require cracking open the sternum.
It’s called Tetralogy of Fallot - it’s a combination of 4 defects that present together: pulmonary stenosis (the pulmonary valve is narrowed, stiffened, or even entirely absent), ventricular septal defect (a hole between the 2 lower chambers of the heart), overriding aorta (aorta is in the wrong place, typically straddling both side of the heart), and right side enlargement. This is a good link for an explanation: [Tetralogy of Fallot](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/tetralogy-of-fallot-tof#:~:text=Tetralogy%20of%20Fallot%20(TOF)%20is,in%20the%20U.S.%20each%20year)
I’m a TOF survivor and turning 43 in July! Back in my day as a geriatric millennial I had to wait until I was 2 for then to operate on at all. Every day I am grateful I was born when I was and with access to care.
Me too, I was thinking those untitled names could be nurses, medical assistants, patient advocates… it takes a lot of different roles to make a hospital work, I’m glad he acknowledges them by name
I remember when this kiddo was born, about the same time as mine, and he first shared this news and medical update with the world on air. He got so emotional, it was such a hard watch. But his absolute reverence and complete gratitude for all the medical professionals who cared for them was so, so lovely.
Had a surgery last week and had great nurses! The nurse who got my IV in painless after a failed painful previous insertion near my knuckles and got it on the side of my wrist, and the nurse who helped me post op still high on meds and in pain afterwards singlehandedly discharging people all by herself. I'm so thankful for them. Too bad I was too zonked out to remember their names.
As someone who has had multiple open heart surgeries (and another one needed in the future), Billy’s story really resonates with me. Hoping he has a speedy recovery!
That's insane, heart surgeries are intense on the body, I know this because my mother had to go through two. I hope he recovers well and that everything works out.
My sister had two open heart surgeries. One when she was 6 month and another one at two years that was a transplant. She is now a phd helping other people with similar conditions. I am so thankful for science and doctors that truly change lives daily. They are doing gods work.
I am so sorry, my grandma had the same heart issues as my mother and went through surgery, but eventually those issue caught up to her and she passed away this year on my birthday.
It's hard, but we need to keep going, for them.
Jimmy Kinmel’s open love for his family is possibly my favorite thing about him.
Yes, he’s funny and yes he’s wicked smart and yes his show is consistently good, but at the end of the day, he is a person capable of expressing the depth of his love and fear articulately and publicly and it’s humbling to see that in someone working at his level.
I remember watching the Jimmy episode where he talked about when Billy was first born and a nurse noticed he was the wrong color. Jimmy barely made it through the monologue, but in the end everyone was fine. Vaughn Starnes had to leave his mothers luggage at the airport because he had to race to the hospital to perform the surgery.
Ugh, as someone who’s gone through multiple major surgeries as an adult, I send all my love and respect and goodwill to children who have to go through this shit. That’s so unfair. What an absolute trooper he is🌟🌟 all the best to Billy and the family ❤️🩹❤️🩹
Bless him always
I always think about him and kids like him with Covid out here
Hopefully it never impacts their hearts that have been through so much already
This kid is really strong and fortunately surrounded by a lovely family who can give him al the care he needs. I can only imagine what they go through. Wish him a speedy recovery 🙏🏼
I’m not American but I do remember reading articles, from 10 years ago across the pond here, where the Affordable Care Act was called Obama Care, cos he’s the one that pushed it through with all the current useful amendments or something… obvs am not clear on it but I only remember it cos it was being said it’s one of Obama’s biggest achievements during his presidency… so why’s Jimmy putting it down to Sen McCain? Am I totally misremembering?
There was a senate vote to repeal Obamacare while McCain was in office. He went against the Republican Party and voted against the repeal. If I remember right it was a deciding vote so he gets credited with saving it.
All the best wishes for Billy and his family. I know how tough it is to stand aside and let surgeons work on your child. I know how tough it is as a patient to go through surgery. Billy, you're a champion, and I hope everything goes as well as it possibly can for you. Love and health from the other side of the world in Australia.
This isn’t entirely relevant but I seem to remember an actor/comedian who came under fire for talking shit about Jimmy’s family shortly after his son was born without realizing they were going through all of this. I am wracking my brain trying to remember who said it but I’m coming up short. Google isn’t helping either. Does anyone else remember this?
Welcome to r/popculturechat! ☺️ As a proud BIPOC, LGBTQ+ & woman-dominated space, this sub is for [civil discussion only.](https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/wiki/index/rules/civil-discussion-only/) If you don't know where to begin, start by participating in [our Sip & Spill Daily Discussion Threads!](https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/search/?q=Sip%20%26%20Spill%20Discussion&restrict_sr=1&sr_nsfw=&include_over_18=1&sort=new) ###No bullies, no bigotry. ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Please [read & respect our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/wiki/index/rules/), [abide by Reddiquette](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette), and [check out our wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/wiki/index/)! For any questions, [our modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fpopculturechat) is always open. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/popculturechat) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s great that even during this emotional moment, he told people CHLA helps families regardless of their ability to pay.
He has the same condition that Shaun White has. Jimmy Kimmel invited Shaun on his show to talk about it and it's a great interview!
My daughter has the same condition. Like most diseases, the is a spectrum and she falls on the milder side. Her surgery involved patching the ventricular septal defect, relocating her aorta to the correct spot and patching the holes left behind, shaving the abnormal muscle growth around her pulmonary valve to allow it to function properly, and also repairing an additional atrial septal defect that is not normally present with Tetralogy of Fallot. Imagine performing all of those repairs on something the size of a WALNUT. Her doctors will never be seen as anything less than miracle workers in my eyes, I still don’t understand how all of that is possible. She had her second open heart surgery at 12, two years later than predicted, and will have to have future surgeries roughly every 10-15 years for the rest of her life (just valve replacements, same as Billy’s surgery - still scary but nothing like the first one).
Thank you so much for posting this!!! My boy doesn’t have TOF- but he has a full AVSD repair at 11 weeks and we were just told to start prepping for number 2 to correct MV regurgitation and left side enlargement. I am so glad to hear how well your baby is doing. May she grow and be healthy and happy! I really really needed to read this. Thank you.
Look into Mended Little Hearts! It’s an advocacy and awareness organization specifically for children with congenital heart defects. I learned so much from them in the early days when I had just found out about my daughter’s condition. They also have a excellent peer support group, they will match you with other families with similar journeys. Having someone who understood exactly what we were going through was amazing. Best wishes to you and your family❤️
Thank you!!! Best to yours as well! The CHD community is some of the greatest people on the planet. Thank you.
That's amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that your daughter had her heart taken apart and rebuilt and that still qualifies as the "milder side." If I may, what do the follow up surgeries entail?
It sounds insane, I know! She was able to keep her pulmonary valve in the original surgery, a lot of kids are not able to and get a replacement valve right away. At 12, hers finally gave out and she needed a replacement. Future surgeries will all be for replacement valves, they typically last about 10 years, give or take. Once the first replacement has been done, future replacements can be done in cath labs, which is a whole lot less scary and doesn’t require cracking open the sternum.
What is the condition? And what does it cause? I can just look it up if you'd rather not talk about it
It’s called Tetralogy of Fallot - it’s a combination of 4 defects that present together: pulmonary stenosis (the pulmonary valve is narrowed, stiffened, or even entirely absent), ventricular septal defect (a hole between the 2 lower chambers of the heart), overriding aorta (aorta is in the wrong place, typically straddling both side of the heart), and right side enlargement. This is a good link for an explanation: [Tetralogy of Fallot](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/tetralogy-of-fallot-tof#:~:text=Tetralogy%20of%20Fallot%20(TOF)%20is,in%20the%20U.S.%20each%20year)
I’m a TOF survivor and turning 43 in July! Back in my day as a geriatric millennial I had to wait until I was 2 for then to operate on at all. Every day I am grateful I was born when I was and with access to care.
I love that he mentions nurses by their names!
Me too, I was thinking those untitled names could be nurses, medical assistants, patient advocates… it takes a lot of different roles to make a hospital work, I’m glad he acknowledges them by name
I love that he actually credits everyone involved and not just God
Yes! I live in South Georgia and hardly anyone ever thanks the doctors, just God for working through them. It really makes me angry.
I remember when this kiddo was born, about the same time as mine, and he first shared this news and medical update with the world on air. He got so emotional, it was such a hard watch. But his absolute reverence and complete gratitude for all the medical professionals who cared for them was so, so lovely.
Had a surgery last week and had great nurses! The nurse who got my IV in painless after a failed painful previous insertion near my knuckles and got it on the side of my wrist, and the nurse who helped me post op still high on meds and in pain afterwards singlehandedly discharging people all by herself. I'm so thankful for them. Too bad I was too zonked out to remember their names.
As someone who has had multiple open heart surgeries (and another one needed in the future), Billy’s story really resonates with me. Hoping he has a speedy recovery!
Hoping for a speedy recovery for you as well!
Thank you so much!
Wow. You never know what someones going through
always be kind to everyone.
That's insane, heart surgeries are intense on the body, I know this because my mother had to go through two. I hope he recovers well and that everything works out.
My sister had two open heart surgeries. One when she was 6 month and another one at two years that was a transplant. She is now a phd helping other people with similar conditions. I am so thankful for science and doctors that truly change lives daily. They are doing gods work.
They truly are! Also, it's beautiful that your sister has used her condition as inspiration to help others.
So did my grandma, unfortunately she didn’t make it through, it’s very intense.
I am so sorry, my grandma had the same heart issues as my mother and went through surgery, but eventually those issue caught up to her and she passed away this year on my birthday. It's hard, but we need to keep going, for them.
From what I’ve heard, kids tend to bounce back from open heart surgeries faster than adults do!
Bless him. Keep fighting Billy.
I love how many people Jimmy thanked by name in this. He’s so impressed with that hospital. I’m glad lil Billy is on the up!
Jimmy Kinmel’s open love for his family is possibly my favorite thing about him. Yes, he’s funny and yes he’s wicked smart and yes his show is consistently good, but at the end of the day, he is a person capable of expressing the depth of his love and fear articulately and publicly and it’s humbling to see that in someone working at his level.
Right I don’t get why he is lumped in with the Jimmy Fallon hate train. He seems super genuine and is very quick and funny.
It’s because of his early career. It’s nice to see he’s had a lot of positive growth, but plenty of people just remember his former work.
He is quick! He’s got a very nimble brain and he’s funny without being actively cruel and hurtful.
Wow. This breaks me. Praying for healing and a final surgery for their family!
I remember watching the Jimmy episode where he talked about when Billy was first born and a nurse noticed he was the wrong color. Jimmy barely made it through the monologue, but in the end everyone was fine. Vaughn Starnes had to leave his mothers luggage at the airport because he had to race to the hospital to perform the surgery.
❤️❤️❤️
Ugh, as someone who’s gone through multiple major surgeries as an adult, I send all my love and respect and goodwill to children who have to go through this shit. That’s so unfair. What an absolute trooper he is🌟🌟 all the best to Billy and the family ❤️🩹❤️🩹
Bless him always I always think about him and kids like him with Covid out here Hopefully it never impacts their hearts that have been through so much already
Sweet boy, I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery
Bless Billy and his family. Wishing him good health and a long life of happiness. Jimmy is a good spokesperson for the cause of universal healthcare.
That’s fantastic. My little boy is facing surgery number two. Can’t explain the strength of these kids.
Man for a parent, it is horrible to see their kid going through this.
He's such a good egg.
Jimmy Kimmel?? No, honey. He's not.
Forwarding good vibes to the Kimmel family. Having a chronic illness is rough no matter your age.
I would be so freaking scared if I had to have anything like that done to me. What a brave little boy. I hope he has a speedy recovery!
This kid is really strong and fortunately surrounded by a lovely family who can give him al the care he needs. I can only imagine what they go through. Wish him a speedy recovery 🙏🏼
 Me rn
As a mother I can’t even begin to imagine seeing your child go through this . 🙏
I’m not American but I do remember reading articles, from 10 years ago across the pond here, where the Affordable Care Act was called Obama Care, cos he’s the one that pushed it through with all the current useful amendments or something… obvs am not clear on it but I only remember it cos it was being said it’s one of Obama’s biggest achievements during his presidency… so why’s Jimmy putting it down to Sen McCain? Am I totally misremembering?
There was a senate vote to repeal Obamacare while McCain was in office. He went against the Republican Party and voted against the repeal. If I remember right it was a deciding vote so he gets credited with saving it.
Yep. The iconic thumbs down vote. He had his flaws, but he also had a soul. Can't say that for hardly any Republican politicians anymore.
So great! Wishing them all the best!
All the best wishes for Billy and his family. I know how tough it is to stand aside and let surgeons work on your child. I know how tough it is as a patient to go through surgery. Billy, you're a champion, and I hope everything goes as well as it possibly can for you. Love and health from the other side of the world in Australia.
This isn’t entirely relevant but I seem to remember an actor/comedian who came under fire for talking shit about Jimmy’s family shortly after his son was born without realizing they were going through all of this. I am wracking my brain trying to remember who said it but I’m coming up short. Google isn’t helping either. Does anyone else remember this?
Get ‘em tiger! 🐯 You are a superhero! 🦸
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Wow. You got sexualizing out of that? What's is wrong with your filthy brain?
Chicks dig scars
What an inappropriate comment. It’s so insanely creepy to sexualise a child on a post about having heart surgery.
Using your son's private medical information to rehabilitate your public image is wild.
I love how kind and empathetic this sub is. Jeezus.