YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife Ashley have said they are receiving death threats and online abuse after revealing they made the decision to terminate a pregnancy following a Down syndrome diagnosis.33-year-old Jesse shared the news through Instagram on Wednesday. It was later reposted by 31-year-old Ashley. The couple said the decision came after doctors diagnosed the foetus with Trisomy 21, another term for Down syndrome.“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.”He said the experience had been “extremely traumatic” for both of them and acknowledged that some followers may disagree with their decision.“When I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic,” Jesse wrote.They added: “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.”In his posts, Ridgway also referred to health complications linked with Down syndrome, including heart defects, hearing issues and delayed development. He added that he and Ashley had consulted doctors, family members and genetic counsellors before making their decision.He claimed that many women choose to terminate pregnancies after a Down syndrome diagnosis. He also said he believed such decisions are often kept private due to stigma.“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,” he wrote.He added: “I believe that’s because most terminations happen privately [and] it feels shameful. A lot of judgement being cast.”Addressing critics, including those with autism or Down syndrome, he added: “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.”He said the couple still believed they made the right decision for their family and expressed hope of trying for another pregnancy in future.“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.”Following the announcement, Ridgway said both he and Ashley have been subjected to a wave of online abuse and death threats. He said they were receiving “hate and vitriol”, including being called “murderous pieces of s***” and compared to Adolf Hitler.He also claimed that some users had targeted his six-year-old dog, which is suffering from stage four kidney disease, as part of the harassment. Ridgway condemned those sending threats, calling them “trashy people” and criticised individuals using religious arguments to justify the abuse.The couple are based in New Jersey and first announced their pregnancy in March through a social media post showing ultrasound images. Abortion is legal in New Jersey at all stages of pregnancy, and the couple said the procedure was carried out earlier this week.The Jesse Ridgway (McJuggerNuggets) YouTube channel has over 4.3 million subscribers.
