Jesse Ridgway and wife Ashley are opening up about why they decided to terminate their pregnancy.
Back in March, the 33-year-old YouTuber, who posts under the name “McJuggerNuggets,” announced that his wife, 31, was pregnant.
In a series of Instagram Stories posted on June 3, the couple shared that they recently made the “difficult decision” to end Ashley‘s pregnancy after receiving a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis.
“This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” Jesse wrote. 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 that Ashley got an abortion, and said that the experience has been “extremely traumatic.”
“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 some of the 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 YouTuber said that he and Ashley spoke with friends, family, doctors, and genetic counselors before making their decision, and claimed that 90% of women terminate their pregnancy after learning the baby has Down syndrome. According to Healthline, that number in the United States 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,” Jesse continued. “I believe that’s because most terminations happen privately [and] it feels shameful. A lot of judgement being cast.”
Jesse then directly addressed his friends 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 concluded. “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.”
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