Jimmy Rees' emotional exit from DWTS to be by newborn's side: "We thought he might not make it"
Children’s entertainer Jimmy Rees has abruptly left Dancing With The Stars after one of his newborn twins was rushed to hospital.
The seven-week-old child is recovering after a “main blood vessel” was cut during a controversial tongue tie procedure last week.
A tongue-tie is a condition where the thin tissue membrane under a person’s tongue restricts movement. The surgery is sometimes performed on babies with the intention to improve breastfeeding.
Jimmy's wife Tori shared that their son Mack had been taken to hospital in an ambulance and needed a blood transfusion as well as CPR.
Tori ended the post saying: “Please give him so much strength for us. We are speechless.”
The Giggle and Hoot host couldn't wait to be a father and shared his joy via Instagram when the twins were born.
"Our hearts have doubled in size!! Prepare for some serious baby spam!!!" Jimmy said.
Tori was also excited to find out the news that the duo were expecting twins. They told New Idea in November: "I almost fell over when they told me.
"It still hasn't dawned on us how crazy it's going to be. We just have to go with the flow," Jimmy excitedly added.
In an official post on the Jimmy Rees Facebook page, it was confirmed that Mack was receiving treatment at the Sydney Children's Hospital in the NICU unit.
The post read:
"Mack is in a stable condition, and at this time there is no cause for immediate alarm," the post read.
"We would appreciate if the families privacy could be respected at this time, however Jimmy and Tori would like to formally thank everyone for their well wishes, and hope they will manifest in a speedy recovery for their son."
Jimmy explained how quickly things "snowballed" after a routine procedure for Mack took a dark turn.
"My son Mack was in for a routine procedure and it didn't go very well. It led to some blood loss and things snowballed from there."
"He was rushed to hospital and became quite critical. CPR was administered to the little fella and he was in resuscitation for a little bit," Jimmy said through tears.
Our thoughts are with @jimmyrees & his family at this tough time. It was a pleasure to have you on the show 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/OlgND50pIM
— Dancing With The Stars Australia (@DancingOn10) April 8, 2019
"He [Mack] was flown to ICU but for a moment there, Tori and I thought that he might not have made it."
"He's doing really well, he's a little trooper and we've been by his side."
Jimmy then revealed his decision to be with his family during this tough time.
"Obviously, I have to make a decision and my decision is to be with my family. It's been a tough decision to give up on the competition, but my family needs me now."
"The good news is he's doing really well."
A Network 10 spokesman has confirmed that Jimmy is officially out of Dancing With The Stars and won’t be back to compete in the show this season, after making the Top 5.
"Jimmy Rees has made the difficult decision to leave Dancing With The Stars," the spokesman said in a statement.
"His seven-week-old son, Mack, recently suffered complications during a routine procedure and is in hospital in a stable condition. Understandably, Jimmy has left the competition to be by his son, and wife Tori's side, during this difficult time.
"Network 10, Warner Bros, and all the contestants and crew on Dancing With The Stars, wish baby Mack a safe and speedy recovery and thank Jimmy for his time on the show."