If you missed Jimmy Kimmel’s heartfelt speech about the care his newborn son received for the congenital heart condition he was born with on April 21, you’ve probably at least heard about it by now.
Learn More about Congenital Heart Defects
Born with Tetralogy of Fallot, Billy Kimmel was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where he underwent the first of what is likely to be several surgeries to repair the condition.
As Kimmel read through a long list of health care professionals who participated in Billy’s care, he came to AARC member Donald Sebek, RRT, with these words, “Thanks to Donald Sebek, our respiratory therapist, who kept Billy breathing the whole time.”
Says Sebek, “What I appreciated was the ‘respiratory therapist’ shout-out. I am hoping that this will be a boost in the pride of our profession, but also let the practitioners know that we do matter. We should be part of the team.”
Good work Donald! And thank you Jimmy Kimmel for recognizing Donald not just by name, but also by the professional role he played in your son’s care.
