YouTuber Buried In Backlash After Revealing He And Wife Terminated Pregnancy Because Baby Had Down Syndrome

YouTuber Jesse Ridgway opened up about one of the most painful decisions he had to make with his wife, Ashley Ridgway.

The influencer, who has 4.34M subscribers on YouTube, had announced to his fans earlier this year that he was expecting his first child.

But his latest update revealed that they chose to terminate the pregnancy due to a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Jesse Ridgway opened up about one of the most painful decisions he had to make with Ashley Ridgway

Image credits: mcjuggernuggets

In a tweet shared this week, Jesse Ridgway revealed that he and Ashley made the “very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21.”

The YouTuber thanked his fans for sharing their personal stories and offering their “unconditional support,” regardless of their decision.

He acknowledged that some fans might be disappointed by the news, but noted that the choice wasn’t made lightly.

Image credits: mcjuggernuggets

“We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley,” he wrote in a lengthy social media message.

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

The couple, who tied the knot last year, made the decision after discovering that their baby had Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome.

The couple made the decision after discovering that their baby had Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome

Image credits: mcjuggernuggets

Image credits: LoriThecatlady

Babies born with the condition have an extra copy of chromosome 21. This extra chromosome affects how the baby’s body and brain develop, leading to physical and mental challenges.

Nearly 6,000 babies are born with Down Syndrome in the country each year, making it the most common chromosome-related condition in the US.

About 50 to 65% of all babies born with Down syndrome are also born with a congenital heart defect, with some needing surgery.

Image credits: IfindRetards

Children with Down syndrome are also at higher risk for other medical conditions, including hearing loss (affecting up to 75%), obstructive sleep apnea (affecting 50 to 75%), eye diseases, like cataracts (affecting up to 60%), and so on.

Individuals with Down syndrome also experience developmental challenges, which could make them slower than other children in achieving certain milestones.

They can take longer to learn to speak, develop fine motor skills such as holding a pencil or feeding themselves, understand and follow instructions, build social and communication skills, and gain the ability to perform everyday tasks completely on their own.

Individuals with Down syndrome also experience developmental challenges

Image credits: mcjuggernuggets

“They are likely to have “impaired immune function, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, delayed physical development, poor muscle tone, structural issues with face, decreased lifespan, etc…” Jesse in his recent message.

“Sadly, the list is long … Down syndrome isn’t a ‘blessing,’ it is objectively sh*tty from a health perspective,” he added.

When Jesse first heard the news, he said he was shocked but also 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,” he said.

Image credits: mcjuggernuggets

Image credits: jdrieder57

The video maker said he initially didn’t know how rough it would be for a child with Down syndrome, who would most likely be fully dependent on other people for the rest of their life.

“We made a difficult decision that we believe in the long run will be beneficial for our family,” he said. “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,” he added.

“We made a difficult decision that we believe in the long run will be beneficial for our family,” Jesse said in his post

Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk/pexels (not an actual photo)

The Ridgways shared a video in May, excitedly announcing that they were expecting a child.

They showed viewers the moment they found out Ashley was pregnant, sharing the footage of them seeing the pregnancy test turn positive.

“It wasn’t an accident. We were trying. Pretty much as soon as we got married, she got off the pill,” Jesse said in the video.

He pointed out that they were both in their 30s and believed it was time for them to get a move on the process of starting a family.

Image credits: Camille Lemiale/pexels (not an actual photo)

Image credits: mayorofutopia_

“We were already running out of time for that ‘kid window,’” Ashley added.

The couple’s decision to terminate the pregnancy sparked an intense discussion in the comments section. Supporters rallied behind the couple’s difficult decision, while critics took a harsh tone and expressed moral outrage.

“You didn’t terminate the pregnancy, you had your child executed for the crime of not meeting your standards. Did you want people to clap?” one asked.

Others showed compassion and said, “For the people judging, you need to stop… They don’t want their child to suffer or have to deal with potential health issues.”

“Although it was a hard decision to make, YOU really made a good choice. Why bring a child into the world to suffer right from the very start when congenital anomaly was noticed earlier in the pregnancy?” asked one.

“Just because Down syndrome offers some added inconveniences does not mean babies with Down syndrome should be legally executed,” one commented online

Image credits: Bruno Curly/pexels (not an actual photo)

“Wow a lot of purposeful misunderstanding and virtue signaling here,” said another. “To know ur kid is gonna have a totally life-ruining disease that’s incurable and bring them into the world anyway is child ab*se.”

A few years ago, another couple from Australia shared their story about how they felt pressured to terminate their pregnancy after finding out their baby had Down syndrome in prenatal screening.

Zoey O’Hehir said her doctor booked an appointment for the termination before she even processed the information.

“It was very scary and just the mention of termination struck a nerve,” she told ABC Australia.

“Before I could say anything, before I could process anything or even breathe [he’d scheduled the termination].”

Despite the doctor’s warnings, Zoey and her husband Jake decided to go through with the pregnancy, and they welcomed their baby girl, Arlee, a few months later.

“She’s amazing and has brought so much happiness to our life,” the mother said.

“She may have a little bit of low muscle tone, which comes with Down syndrome, but other than that she’s honestly just like a normal baby,” she added.

“Why bring a child into the world to suffer right from the very start when congenital anomaly was noticed earlier in the pregnancy?” one asked online

Image credits: UnwokeMe

Image credits: ZacCrippen

Image credits: jimhigginbottom

Image credits: MagdalenaHuds18

Image credits: AlenKoman

Image credits: motheroftenkids

Image credits: BumpstockBarbie

Image credits: real_dreamr

Image credits: NarnianAttorney

Image credits: carolwelch

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!