Jenny McCarthy reflects on emotional trauma during son’s deathly seizures

Jenny McCarthy got candid that it was not easy.

The actress and model is no stranger to sharing personal moments, but her latest revelation is one that hits deep. 

In a conversation with Maria Menounos on the Heal Squad podcast, the 52-year-old actress opened up about one of the most terrifying experiences of her life—watching her son Evan suffer a near-fatal seizure before his autism diagnosis.

"Waiting for the paramedics when he went into cardiac arrest for that seizure — there's nothing worse," McCarthy recalled. "He's 2½ years old. He's turning blue and I'm on the phone with 911, like screaming at them to hurry up and they can't come fast enough."

It’s the kind of moment no parent ever wants to imagine, and for McCarthy, it was life-altering. She described pleading with a higher power as she watched first responders fight to save her son. 

"I had so many conversations with God in that moment of like bring back my boy," she shared, revealing that paramedics had to revive Evan twice. The ordeal left her emotionally shattered, and the challenges didn’t stop there.

"And then I got the autism diagnosis shortly after that," she continued. 

"I hit such a low course being compounded with that — the seizures and the autism diagnosis — I just remember crying so hard in the shower, like one of those scenes you see in a movie where you're like in so much pain, ... and that felt so helpless."

McCarthy welcomed Evan Joseph Asher on May 18, 2002, with her ex-husband, John Asher. 

The couple later parted ways in 2005, and she found love again with Donnie Wahlberg, who has embraced Evan as his own. The New Kids on the Block singer also has two sons from a previous relationship, making McCarthy a stepmom as well.

In 2007, McCarthy first shared Evan’s autism diagnosis with the world, and over the years, she has been an outspoken advocate for autism awareness. 

But in this emotional reflection, she let down her guard, revealing the raw pain, fear, and resilience that shaped her journey as a mother.