Ellen DeGeneres Surprises Jimmy Kimmel With a Special Dedication to His Son Billy

Late-night host's infant memorably underwent heart surgeries immediately after his birth last spring

By Samantha Schnurr Feb 27, 2018 2:10 PMTags
Jimmy Kimmel, Billy KimmelYouTube

Cue the waterworks!

If there's anyone we can count on for a good cry these days, it's Jimmy Kimmel. This year's Oscars host has taken viewers along one emotional ride in the past 12 months after revealing last May that his son Billy was born with genetic heart disease that required immediate surgeries. 

The late-night host has since made several emotional pleas on his show in the name of beneficial health care reform for all and raising money for Children's Hospital Los Angeles. He's also delivered heartfelt monologues in the wake of several of the year's tragedies, including the most recent shooting in Parkland, Fla. In the process, he's shed many tears.

"It's embarrassing to me. I try not to cry," Kimmel told DeGeneres."I pinch my hand."

Well, the self-admitted "crier" was in for yet another emotional surprise—this time a happy one!—when the daytime host revealed she had a special secret up her sleeve. 

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Celebrity Mean Tweets From Jimmy Kimmel Live!

"We called our friends at Children's Hospital LA," she told him. "We have named one of the rooms of the Heart Institute floor in honor of Billy." 

They proceeded to show footage of the room with a sign on it reading "In Honor of Billy Kimmel." Meanwhile, the proud dad didn't immediately break out into tears, but he did take a moment to discreetly wipe his eye. 

"That will forever be the Billy Kimmel room," DeGeneres said. The room was filled with emotion as the grateful star gave her a kiss and said thank you. 

 The pièce de résistance came when DeGeneres revealed some of Billy's nurses were in the audience. "You should be at work!" Kimmel playfully shouted at them. 

"Thank you very much," Kimmel said on a more serious note. "That means a lot to me."