YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and wife terminate pregnancy after Down syndrome diagnosis

YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife, Ashley, revealed they decided to terminate their gestation aft learning their babe had a precocious chance of being calved pinch Down syndrome.

“This week, my woman and I made nan very difficult determination to terminate nan gestation owed to Trisomy 21,” nan net characteristic wrote via his Instagram Stories connected Wednesday.

Trisomy 21 is besides known arsenic Down syndrome, “a familial information wherever a personification is calved pinch an other chromosome,” per nan CDC.

“The prime was not made lightly,” Ridgway continued. “We are devastated. This has been highly traumatic for some of us, particularly Ashley.”

Ridgway shared that Ashley underwent nan “procedure earlier this week” and “everything went smoothly.”

“But emotionally, we are drained,” he continued.

Ridgway explained that nan “odds of a baby” pinch Trisomy 21 are “1 successful 1000,” stating, “When I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic.”

“If they’re a small slow intellectually, past we’ll make it work. I signed connected to beryllium a parent, travel what may,” he wrote. “But I conscionable didn’t afloat understand what Down Syndrome entailed.”

In a abstracted slide, Ridgway elaborate nan wellness risks associated pinch Down syndrome, including decreased lifespan, impaired immune usability and mediocre musculus tone.

“Down Syndrome isn’t a ‘blessing,’ it is objectively s–tty from a wellness perspective,” he added. “I didn’t recognize conscionable really unsmooth it is for nan child, fto unsocial nan family … much often than not, they would beryllium afloat limited connected others for nan remainder of their life.”

Before terminating nan pregnancy, Ridgway explained he and Ashley “spoke pinch doctors, friends, family and familial counselors” who told them that “up to 90% of women terminate their gestation aft learning nan babe has Trisomy 21.”

Healthline, however, cites figures of 67 percent of women successful nan US, 77 percent successful France and 98 percent successful Denmark.

Ridgway stated nan fig was “WAY higher” than he expected, saying, “I judge that’s because astir terminations hap privately [and] it feels shameful. A batch of judgement being cast.”

“You ne'er deliberation you’d beryllium successful this type of business until it happens to you and past things change,” he wrote.

Ridgway admitted that fans mightiness beryllium disappointed and addressed those who person Down syndrome aliases autism, telling them, “You matter a batch and we’re gladsome you’re here.”

“I commend you and your families for having nan spot and courageousness to push forward,” he said.

Ridgway and Ashley’s announcement comes aft they revealed via Instagram that they were expecting a kid together successful March.