Jimmy Kimmel typically opens his show with a monologue filled with jokes. He took a break from that on Monday night to tell the story of his newborn son, William John Kimmel.
For those that didn’t want to cry, here’s a quick recap: Kimmel’s son was diagnosed with tetralogy of fallot with pulmonary atresia upon birth. It’s a rare condition that features a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart. Fortunately, doctors acted quickly and performed an open-heart procedure, saving William’s life.
Kimmel closed the monologue by taking Donald Trump to task and praising Obamacare.
I want to say one other thing. President Trump last month proposed a $6 billion cut in funding to the National Institute of Health, and thank God our congressmen made a deal last night to not go along with that. They actually increased funding by $2 billion, and I applaud them for doing that.
We were brought up to believe that we live in the greatest country in the world, but until a few years ago, millions and millions of us had no access to health insurance at all. Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you’d never be able to get health insurance because you had a preexisting condition. You were born with a preexisting condition, and if your parents didn’t have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a preexisting condition. If your baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.
If that’s how Kimmel feels, great. He just went through a traumatic experience that fortunately turned out for the best. I’ve had my own traumatic experiences that haven’t turned out nearly as well, thanks to Obamacare and the limitations. Trump’s proposal was likely going to make things worse, but that doesn’t mean Obamacare is perfect for everyone.