Popular children’s entertainer Jimmy Rees and his wife Tori have just lived through every new parent’s worst nightmare.
Last week, one of their seven-week-old newborn twins was undergoing a routine medical procedure to fix a tongue tie, when a simple mistake turned their entire world on its head.
According to Jimmy’s wife Tori, baby Mack’s doctor accidentally cut a major blood vessel, sending the newborn’s health spiralling.
Mack was rushed to hospital in an ambulance and needed immediate CPR and resuscitation, before being flown to the ICU at a local children’s hospital.
He was put on a ventilator and is currently recovering in hospital, while his anxious parents wait by his side.
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Jimmy and Tori with their twins Mack and Vinny in ICU. (Image: @rees_tori/Instagram)
Baby Vinny was brought in to give Mack some much-needed company while he heals. (Image: @rees_tori/Instagram)
Until yesterday, Jimmy was competing on Dancing With The Stars and as one of the strongest celebrity dancers on the show, he had every chance of winning the competition.
But baby Mack’s shocking medical condition led Jimmy to announce that he would be quitting the show altogether, to focus on caring for his young family.
A Network 10 spokesman confirmed the news to Now To Love on Monday afternoon.
“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,” the spokesman said.
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These two are just heartbreakingly adorable. (Image: @rees_tori/Instagram)
Mack is currently breathing through a ventilator. (Image: @rees_tori/Instagram)
Baby Mack before his accident. (Image: @jimmyrees/Instagram)
Despite his absence from the dance floor on Monday night, Jimmy still took time out to explain to his loyal Dancing With The Stars fans exactly what happened.
In a heartbreaking piece to camera, the doting father broke down as he revealed at one point, he thought his son wasn’t going to make it.
“Tori and I were with him and the doctors there rushed him into theatre to stop his bleeding from the little artery that ruptured … and he was flown into the ICU at the children’s hospital,” Jimmy explained.
“But for a moment there Tori and I thought that he might not have made it.”
Poor Jimmy burst into tears while explaining what happened to baby Mack. (Image: Channel 10)
Jimmy continued: “He’s a little trooper and I’ve just been by his side and giving him all the support he needs.”
He went on to explain that Mack is now recovering in ICU and is “doing really well”, crediting the doctors at hospital for saving his son’s life.
While quitting DWTS was a tough decision for the professional performer, Jimmy said it was the right decision to spend quality time with his family.
“Obviously I had 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 know and I’ll be spending time with them. The good news is [Mack’s] doing really well, he’s exceed all the doctors expectations and he’ll be coming home soon.”
WATCH BELOW: Jimmy and Tori’s three-year-old son reacts to meeting his new bothers for the first time. Story continues after video.
Jimmy’s DWTS co-stars, including host Amanda Keller, all sent their well-wishes to the popular star.
Amanda struggled to hold back her tears at the end of Jimmy’s piece to camera, calling the situation a “nightmare scenario”, and admitted it was “hard to talk” after watching Jimmy’s struggle.
Fellow contestant Samuel Johnson and judge Sharna Burgess also sent their love to the Rees family.
Jimmy and his wife Tori are the proud parents to twin boys Mack and Vinny and big brother Lenny, three.
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