Jimmy Kimmel: Clinton says the late night host's emotional monologue shows what’s at stake in health care debate

Jimmy Kimmel opened up about his son's heart condition in Monday's monologue.

ByABC News
May 2, 2017, 10:51 AM

— -- Jimmy Kimmel brought viewers to tears with his emotional monologue Monday night.

The late-night talk host revealed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that his son, William, was born with a heart defect that required surgery three days after he was born. William will undergo another open-heart procedure within the next three to six months.

Viewers -- including some of Kimmel's famous friends -- responded on Twitter to his 13-minute monologue with an outpouring of support.

"Watch & prepare to tear up. Thanks @jimmykimmel for sharing your story & reminding us what's at stake w/health care," Hillary Clinton tweeted early this morning.

Former President Barack Obama also mentioned his signature health care plan, the Affordable Care Act, in a tweet to Kimmel.

"Well said, Jimmy. That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy. And congratulations!" Obama wrote.

"A touching & most powerful monologue from my friend@jimmykimmel &it has a happy ending.I love him & his whole family," Julia Louis-Dreyfus wrote.

After Kimmel shared the monologue in a tweet shortly before midnight, some responded with stories of their own children undergoing open heart surgery.

A mother named Ali posted a photo of her son Ethan welcoming Kimmel's son to the "zipper club."

Josh Levs responded to Kimmel's plea to politicians, both Republican and Democrat, to make sure all Americans have access to medical care, especially those with pre-existing health conditions.

"Amen," he wrote. "Our newborn's heart surgery cost $350k. What if we didn't have insurance?"

A 13-year-old aspiring singer/songwriter, who was also born with a heart disease, assured Kimmel that William would be all right.

Following the outpouring of support and donations to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where his son's emergency procedure was done, Kimmel took to Twitter to thank viewers.

"On behalf of my family, thank you for the lovely and loving tweets about our son Billy and for your donations to [Children's Hospital Los Angeles]," he said.

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