The actress has her 22-year-old son with her ex-husband John Asher

Jenny McCarthy is grateful for the support of her friend Kelly Ripa when her son Evan was diagnosed with autism.

On Wednesday, July 17, the 51-year-old actress appeared in an episode of Let’s talk off camera with Kelly Ripaand told a story about how the Live with Kelly & Mark Host helped her in a difficult time.

“You were a very important part of my journey,” McCarthy begins. “When my son was diagnosed with autism – and I think I’ve told you this many, many times – you can imagine what that goes through for a person. It was the end of my life. I was devastated.”

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Related: Jenny McCarthy’s son Evan moved back home after college – and she loves it (exclusive)

McCarthy explained that she had to go home immediately afterward and pack to go to Ripa’s show. She just wanted to “cancel and hold my baby, who was having fatal seizures, but I had to feed him and heal him. I needed money.”

“So I had to get on the plane. My husband wasn’t making any money, so it was up to me,” she continues.

McCarthy says she remembers seeing Ripa and telling her she needed help, noting that the two of them got through it together while McCarthy cried backstage.

“We made it through and I’m so grateful because I’ll never forget it was the lowest point of my life and you were the next person I saw and I thought, ‘I’m sorry for pouring my heart out to you,'” she says.

Ripa tells her friend that she didn’t mind and recalls putting McCarthy in touch with an autism support group.

“It was so helpful. Guys, there was Google back then, maybe this year. If you Googled, you didn’t find that much,” McCarthy says. “There was nothing, and it was a very, very scary time. And you helped me sell a lot of books that helped me pay for my speech therapy. So I will always be indebted to you.”

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