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‘We Had Atheists Praying for Us’
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was off the air last week. What fans didn’t know was why.
Mr. Kimmel revealed on Monday’s show that his wife had given birth to a son, who, within hours of delivery, was found to have severe heart defects. He needed emergency surgery, leading to a torturous series of events — then, ultimately, a happy ending.
Mr. Kimmel shared the experience in an emotional opening monologue. “We had atheists praying for us, O.K.?” he said. “And I hate to say it — even that son of a [expletive] Matt Damon sent flowers.”
Video by Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Mr. Kimmel eventually turned toward politics, decrying the idea that anyone should be denied access to health insurance and to coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, about which President Trump has been unclear. Many people are concerned about the loss of such coverage, and Mr. Kimmel captured their fears:
“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 pre-existing condition. You were born with a pre-existing condition. And if your parents didn’t have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition.
If your baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think that’s something that, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?”
“This isn’t football,” Mr. Kimmel added. “There are no teams. We are the team, it’s the United States. Don’t let their partisan squabbles divide us on something every decent person wants.”
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