Culture YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and Wife Made ‘Difficult Decision to Terminate’ Pregnancy After Down Syndrome Diagnosis: 'Gut Punch' - The couple shared on their Instagram Stories that Jesse's wife Ashley got an abortion earlier this week

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Jesse Ridgway and his wife Ashley have ended their pregnancy and are explaining why.

In a series of posts on the YouTuber's Instagram Stories from Wednesday, June 3, Jesse, 33, said that they'd recently made the "difficult decision" to end Ashley's pregnancy after receiving a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis. Ashley later reposted the statement on her own Stories.

"This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21," wrote Jesse. Trisomy 21 is another name for Down syndrome. "The choice was not made lightly."

Jesse acknowledged that some of their fans might be "very disappointed" to hear this news and said the experience has been "extremely traumatic" for him and Ashley, 31, who terminated the pregnancy earlier this week.

"When I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic," Jesse wrote. "If they're a little slow intellectually, then we'll make it work. I signed on to be a parent, come what may...but I just didn't fully understand what Down syndrome entailed."

He went on to list health risks that can be associated with Down syndrome, including heart defects, hearing challenges and delayed physical development.

"Down Syndrome isn't a 'blessing,' it is objectively s---ty from a health perspective," Jesse claimed. "I didn't realize just how rough it is for the child, let alone the family...more often than not, they would be fully dependent on others for the rest of their life."

The influencer said he spoke with friends, family, doctors and genetic counselors and claimed that 90% of women terminate their pregnancy after learning the baby has Down syndrome. (According to Healthline, that figure in the U.S. is 67%.)

"This was WAY higher than I expected, I thought it would be lower given I hear so many say they kept or would keep the baby," continued Jesse. "I believe that's because most terminations happen privately [and] it feels shameful. A lot of judgement being cast."

He directly addressed his fans who have autism or Down syndrome and have weighed in on their decision, saying that they "appreciate" them.

"You matter a lot and we're glad you're here," he said. "I commend you and your families for having the strength and courage to push forward."

"As for us, we made a difficult decision that we believe in the long-run will be beneficial for our family. Thankfully, we had a choice," Jesse said. "It will take a little time to move on, but we are excited to try again in the future and hopefully have a better outcome."

The couple, who are based in New Jersey, first announced they were expecting in March. In a joint Instagram post, the two sat together and held up a series of sonogram images.

"BABY RIDGWAY - COMING FALL 2026," they wrote in their caption.

 

[Potion_Time]

They seem real broken up about it...

Strange that they choose to heal by making it a national news story...

 

[SOLDIER OF WALES]

the push for ppl to actually have special needs children after we have the testing available in utero is the most sadistic self serving bullshit line of logic ever.

never take advice from a nigga who wont live with the consequences

 

[behavioral swamp thang]

Isn't the guy rich? He could've given his Downie baby a proper life and care easy, but nah, it's not a perfect mini-me to parade around.

I don't see it that way. Yeah when you are alive you can monitor your child's care, but what about after you die? At that point you have to put trust into something that could lead to them being abused (and often does.) That would be the biggest reason to abort. That as a parent you cannot truly promise your profoundly disabled child will be safe after you're gone.

And yes, it's already been stated here, but down's syndrome isn't always some snuggly loveable retard. Most have issues that put them in slightly above vegetable territory. You only see "the good ones" in mainstream media, never the nonverbal one in a wheelchair who can't hear and screeches a pained HUUURR every 15 seconds.

 

[Potion_Time]

1: They are morally in the moral right for aborting a child that has been known to be born with a severe life altering disability. the push for ppl to actually have special needs children after we have the testing available in utero is the most sadistic self serving bullshit line of logic ever. Both the parents that still go through with it and the ppl that push it

So you would agree that both parents need genetic testing in order to discover who needs to castrated so that their genes cannot be passed down since they carry the gene for downs syndrome, right?

If it's sadistic and self serving to give birth to a child with downs syndrome then its sadistic and self serving to pass down the genetics that cause it.

 

[cain_destroyer1]

Having a baby you know has down syndrome is retarded.

It's going to be dependent on you it's whole life. It's essentially like having a human pet. It's fucking cruel.

"Oh but look how happy they are, tards can live a good life" what the hell is the point when we spend upwards of 50 grand, a year, of state funds to support these tards just so they can smile and giggle at how much they love "chippies"


And yes, over their lifetime, these tards cost the state millions of dollars each. (Depending on the state) ~30,000 dollars a year to educate until they are 25. After that they are generally given access to in home helpers depending on the need that can last the rest of their life. Here in california they are given medicaid for life, even if they have another insurance. Most tards are poor so that expensive heart surgery they all have to have, plus all other health costs, is usually paid for by the state.

Good for this couple, making the right choice

 

[daffodils]

So you would agree that both parents need genetic testing in order to discover who needs to castrated so that their genes cannot be passed down since they carry the gene for downs syndrome, right?

If it's sadistic and self serving to give birth to a child with downs syndrome then its sadistic and self serving to pass down the genetics that cause it.

Down syndrome is usually caused by random error in cell division. The vast majority of parents don't carry anything that causes it.

 

[umseriously]

Sad but understandable. Don't have kids you aren't ready to afford.

Although, I think a down syndrome kid would have been a great addition to mcjuggernauts' usual antics, but perhaps it would be too much even for him to handle.

 

[Potion_Time]

Down syndrome is usually caused by random error in cell division. The vast majority of parents don't carry anything that causes it.

Fair, I was misinformed on that. But I think the greater point still stands especially on other genetically transmitted diseases. If we can kill a child for physical or mental defects we should absolutely be in the business of ensuring that all factors that cause such a thing are prevented as well.

 

[Lurker]

Fair, I was misinformed on that. But I think the greater point still stands especially on other genetically transmitted diseases. If we can kill a child for physical or mental defects we should absolutely be in the business of ensuring that all factors that cause such a thing are prevented as well.

that sounds a lot like

EUGENICS

which, i am told, is bad, apparently?

 

[Falcos_Commisar]

that sounds a lot like

EUGENICS

which, i am told, is bad, apparently?

It's only good when Whypipo abort you see

 

[Parodius20XX]

They seem real broken up about it...

Strange that they choose to heal by making it a national news story...

We want privacy!



Seriously, why even announce this unless you're an attention hungry weirdo?

 

[Tasty Tatty]

Thing is, I think this is the same guy later saying he was trying to save his dog and made all he could for him to be healthy.

Reality is, this ain't the case of abortion because you felt that a person with down syndrome would have a bad life. This was because that's not good content or the demands to take care of a kid like this would make their life difficult. Soo, they'll abort blind or deaf kids. Or, why not, ugly.

Making content out of this is ghoulish

They announced the pregnancy online earlier so probably felt obliged to explain where the baby disappeared

"we announced our pregnancy some time ago, we now have to inform our audience the pregnancy has to be terminated due to health reasons". There.

These people were likely super liberal who believe that abortion is not murder and they wanted to use this to not only make content, but to receive the support of other super liberals and to rub it into the face of the evil chuds.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

The overall media coverage of Down's should be a crime. The majority are very sick and very disabled, the wholesome high-functioning sweeties that always get trotted out to guilt women into not aborting them are a minority.

That one drives up the fucking wall. Everytime it's "muh chuckin wholesome, nicest person in the entire world. How dare you view it as a disability!"

So you would agree that both parents need genetic testing in order to discover who needs to castrated so that their genes cannot be passed down since they carry the gene for downs syndrome, right?

If it's sadistic and self serving to give birth to a child with downs syndrome then its sadistic and self serving to pass down the genetics that cause it.

Yeah. I wouldn't give the state the power to do that but eugenics is a valid science that's used in every other industry so I don't think it's unreasonable for people to consider it if they will be knowingly passing down a huge life destroying threat. However I don't think downs is a genetic disorder but a fuck up during gestation, could be wrong though

 

[mold]

This abortion was sponsored by RAID OF SHADOWLEGENDS. When you think of sweet orcs smashing up retards with sick battle axes, think of RAID OF SHADOWLEGENDS.

I was just about to close this thread because it was too upsetting and now I am upset and I also have to feel bad for laughing

 

[SimplyScrumptious]

no idea who these people are but I actually came across this yesterday and the comments section was… brutal.
here’s the original post they made
“This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21.

The choice was not made lightly. We really appreciate all of the personal stories that you guys shared with us, especially the unconditional support we received from fans with no matter what we decided.

I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news. We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley.

She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, but emotionally we are drained.

Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome, is caused by an extra chromosome. It is caused by an error in cell division, like a glitch. The odds of a baby having it is 1 in 1000.

When I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic. If they’re a little slow intellectually, then we’ll make it work. I signed on to be a parent, come what may…but I just didn’t fully understand what Down Syndrome entailed.

Once we made it public, it became clear that MOST people don’t know what Down Syndrome entails (and no, it’s not the same as Autism):

50% of babies with DS have heart defects. 75% will have hearing challenges. Over 50% will have vision problems. Impaired immune function, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, delayed physical development, poor muscle tone, structural issues with face, decreased lifespan, etc…Sadly, the list is long, feel free to look it up…Down Syndome isn’t a “blessing”, it is objectively shitty from a health perspective.

I didn’t realize just how rough it is for the child, let alone the family…more often than not, they would be fully dependent on others for the rest of their life.

The miscarriage risk is also close to 50%, which made matters worse…they may never see the light of day and it puts Ashley further at risk.

We spoke with doctors, friends, family and genetic counselors and learned that up to 90% of women terminate their pregnancy after learning the baby has Trisomy 21.

This was WAY higher than I expected, I thought it would be lower given that I hear so many say they kept or would keep the baby. I believe that’s because most terminations happen privately, it feels shameful. A lot of judgment being cast.

You never think you’d be in this type of situation until it happens to you and then things change.

To all of my fans who have weighed in on this topic who have Autism, Down Syndrome or any other conditions…we appreciate you. You matter a lot and we’re glad you’re here. I commend you and your families for having the strength and courage to push forward.

As for us, we made a difficult decision that we believe in the long-run will be beneficial for our family. Thankfully, we had a choice.

It will take a little time to move on, but we are excited to try again in the future and hopefully have a better outcome.

Love you guys & thank you for understanding.”

comments basically YOURE GOING TO HELL
and
SO YOU KILLED HER BECAYSE SHE WASNT PERFECT
and
”they told me 95% chance and my son was fine”
etc etc

the test done to confirm was amniocentesis.
yeah they probably should’ve done it all quietly. and probably could have phrased some parts of the post better. -shrug-

 

[Gender of peace]

Fair, I was misinformed on that. But I think the greater point still stands especially on other genetically transmitted diseases. If we can kill a child for physical or mental defects we should absolutely be in the business of ensuring that all factors that cause such a thing are prevented as well.

A lot of Jews do IVF for exactly this reason. They test mother and father for genetic conditions (there are tons of recessive genetic disorders in these bloodlines since Ashkanazis are dysgenic inbreds descended from 350 individuals). Then they genetically test the lab-created embryos, selecting the ones that don't have whatever disorders the parents carry.

There are services that will test embryos and identify the ones most likely to have higher IQs. Gene editing of embryos is on the horizon. It's getting pretty crazy.

 

[quaawaa]

By the way, back when everyone was religious and abortion hadn’t been invented, no one raised kids with down syndrome.

 

[Lifeguard Hermit]

So you would agree that both parents need genetic testing in order to discover who needs to castrated so that their genes cannot be passed down since they carry the gene for downs syndrome, right?

If it's sadistic and self serving to give birth to a child with downs syndrome then its sadistic and self serving to pass down the genetics that cause it.

Despite your need to go to the extreme for effect: YES. When you know you have a genetic deficiency and fell in love with someone that shares said deficiency, then abstain from having children bc its just logical... Isnt that castration without the physical act?

People make these choices all the time

 

[Lurker]

By the way, back when everyone was religious and abortion hadn’t been invented, no one raised kids with down syndrome.

yeah, because they just left them out in the elements to die

or was that what you were implying

 

[Gandhi's Left Hook]

Sad about the kid having Down syndrome and the terribly tough decision the parents had to make. A great time for them to sit back and analyze how they ended up in a position where they are sharing their deepest moments in public. Social media influencers not only harm others, but the person they harm the most is themselves.