"It's a sh**ty reality": VTuber Ironmouse slams those calling her chronic illness a "gimmick"

Popular VTuber Ironmouse has slammed her critics for labeling her chronic illness a "gimmick." Ironmouse is one of the most popular Twitch streamers and a leading figure in the Virtual YouTube community. She has over 2.3 million followers on Twitch. Those who have kept close tabs on the streamer will know that she has previously spoken about having an autoimmune disease.

For those unaware, the VTuber suffers from a rare medical condition called Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). She took to her X profile on March 2, 2025, firing back at those who carry a dismissive attitude toward her condition:

"Being chronically ill is not a gimmick or a trend or a trait that is owned by anyone. its a sh**ty reality many of us have to live with and we should feel comfortable and safe in our own communities to be able to share that part of our life if we choose to talk about it."

Ironmouse talks about her medical condition (Image via X/@Ironmouse)

Ironmouse’s past work raising funds and awareness of Immune Deficiency

Ironmouse has been a vocal supporter of immune deficiency programs and healthcare foundations. She has previously raised funds during her streams for this condition while also spreading awareness. For example, she hosted an IDF Community event in April 2024:

“Its PI Awareness month and Monday April 22nd at 6:00 PM EST me and my friends will go on a DND journey to raise money for the Immune Deficiency Foundation @IDFCommunity . I hope you guys can make it to see our adventure and help us raise money for a good cause!”

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During her record-breaking September and October subathon, when she became the most subscribed streamer on Twitch with 305K subs, Ironmouse pledged to donate 50% of the earnings to the Immune Deficiency Foundation.

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The VTuber has previously spoken about her illness during her past streams:

"I have CVID. It is a medical condition, it is a genetic immune disease. My body doesn't make antibodies to fight off infections or viruses so I have to get donated plasma from other humans every week to help."

She also mentioned having a port-a-cath in her chest:

"Because of my medical issues, I'm on medicine all the time, so I have a port-a-cath on my chest and I always have medicines flowing in me."

Ironmouse was recently trending on X after challenging fellow Twitch streamer Ludwig Ahgren to create his own VTuber model. This was actually a forfeit from a challenge that took place in December 2021.

About the author

Shreyan is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda, focusing on streamer content. He holds a Master's degree in English Literature, and journalism was the most logical next step for him. Although titles like FIFA 08 and GTA San Andreas acted as the catalyst for his love of video games, the exponential growth of the streaming community also propelled his interest in the genre. He also has a prior work experience of 2 years.

Shreyan considers factual and accurate content to be the most important as a creator and a reader. He ensures this by double checking every piece of information in his articles and sourcing it from streamers directly rather than depend on third parties. His works have caught the attention of the heavyweights, with the PR team of Sidemen (a YouTube group he’s been following since his teenage days) and Chess.com reaching out to him for sending exclusive press releases.

Shreyan would love to drop into the virtual world of FIFA/EA FC and explore it further but, he would recommend playing Red Dead Redemption 2 to gaming skeptics for its top-tier gameplay, story and characters. During his downtime, he enjoys balancing his interests in reading, watching films and sports, and of course, playing video games.

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Edited by Ripunjay Gaba