Filmmaker and popular YouTuber Jesse Ridgway has taken to X to share that he and his wife Ashley had to terminate her pregnancy with a heavy heart. He explained that they made the decision after learning that their unborn child would have had Down syndrome.
“ This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” Ridgway wrote on X. “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.”
Ridway acknowledged that some people may be “disappointed” to hear the update.
“We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley,” he wrote. “She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, but emotionally we are drained.”
‘I was shocked but optimistic’
Trisomy 21 is also known as Down syndrome. It occurs when a developing fetus has an extra, third copy of chromosome 21 in its cells, instead of having the usual pair. This extra genetic material changes typical development, such as specific physical features, medical challenges, and intellectual disabilities.
“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,” Ridgway wrote.
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He went on to explain that Down syndrome is not the same as autism, adding, “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 shi*** from a health perspective.“
He added, “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.”
Ridgeway added that he believes that the decision, though it was hard, will be “beneficial for our family” in the long run.
“Thankfully, we had a choice,” he added.
Ridgway further wrote, “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.”
