Entertainment

Jimmy Kimmel shares update on his son and encourages viewers to 'vote with your heart'

Advocating for the importance of health care for people with preexisting conditions, Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday revisited a difficult time for his family and encouraged viewers to "vote with your heart" in the upcoming election.

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By
Marianne Garvey
, CNN
CNN — Advocating for the importance of health care for people with preexisting conditions, Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday revisited a difficult time for his family and encouraged viewers to "vote with your heart" in the upcoming election.

Kimmel's son, Billy, now 3, had to undergo three heart surgeries after he was born with Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia. Kimmel shared a video on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," made by his wife, Molly McNearney, of their son recovering from open heart surgery just days after he was born.

Kimmel reminded viewers that voters need to consider health care and the benefits of the Affordable Care Act when voting on Nov. 3.

"I want to bring us back to focus on something we can't afford to forget, and that is health care," he said. "The vast majority of this country believes that health insurance should cover Americans with preexisting conditions."

"Mom's don't forget. Please vote," McNearney wrote in the video, which shows Billy, now healthy, dressing up in costumes and playing with his big sister Jane, 6.

"We are raising him to fight for less fortunate kids," wrote McNearney. "Americans take care of one another. Vote with your heart."

Kimmel tearfully revealed Billy's heart disease in May 2017 during a monologue on his show, and thanked attentive nurses, doctors, his staff, friends and family.

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