Celebrities pile on the well-wishes as Jimmy Kimmel’s son Billy recovers from third heart surgery

“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,” Kimmel captioned an Instagram photo of his son smiling in his hospital bed.

“Walking around this hospital, meeting parents at their most vulnerable, children in pain and the miracle workers who do everything in their considerable power to save them is a humbling experience,” he continued.

The comedian, 56, ended his emotional tribute thanking “those loving strangers” who prayed for his and his wife Molly McNearney‘s son, and their family and friends for “rallying around us to an almost-ridiculous extent.”

He concluded, “Billy, you are the toughest (and funniest) 7 year-old we know.”

Some of those friends cheering Billy on from the comments section included Jimmy’s pals Jennifer Aniston, Ryan Reynolds and John Stamos. Nathan Fillion added, “CHLA saved a friend of mine with heart issues when he was a wee lad, as well. Love those people over there.”

Billy underwent his first open-heart surgery at just 3 days old, and had another when he was 7 months old. His health took center stage after he was born in 2017, when Jimmy shared with his audience the trials the newborn was facing.

Kimmel tearfully told viewers of Billy’s successful but “terrifying” first surgery, calling it “the longest three hours of my life.”

His son’s health struggles led Jimmy to become an advocate for the Affordable Care Act, which he praised again in the new post.