YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife Ashley have revealed that they decided to terminate their pregnancy after learning that their baby was likely to have Down syndrome.
“This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy due to trisomy 21,” the internet personality wrote via her Instagram Story on Wednesday.
Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome, is a “genetic disorder in which people are born with an extra chromosome,” according to the CDC.
“This choice was not made lightly,” Ridgway continued. “We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley.”
Ridgway said Ashley had “surgery earlier this week” and “everything went well.”
“But mentally it’s exhausting,” he continued.
Ridgway explained that the “chance of having a baby” with trisomy 21 was “one in 1,000” and said: “When I was first faced with this news, I was shocked but optimistic.”
“If they’re a little behind intellectually, we’ll make it work. I signed up to be a parent, no matter what,” he wrote. “But I didn’t fully understand what Down syndrome meant.”
In another slide, Ridgway detailed the health risks associated with Down syndrome, including a shortened lifespan, weakened immune system and decreased muscle tone.
“Down syndrome is not a ‘blessing’. From a health perspective, it is objectively problematic,” he added. “I didn’t realize how difficult it was for the child, let alone the family. In many cases, they end up completely dependent on others for the rest of their lives.”
Ridgway explained that she and Ashley “spoke with doctors, friends, family and genetic counselors” before aborting the pregnancy, and were told that “up to 90% of women terminate their pregnancies after learning their baby has trisomy 21.”
However, Healthline cites figures of 67 percent of women in the United States, 77 percent in France, and 98 percent in Denmark.
Ridgway said the figure was “much higher” than expected because “most of the layoffs are done privately and I think that’s a shame. There’s a lot of judgment being made.”
“I never thought I would be in a situation like this until it happened to me and then my circumstances changed,” he wrote.
Ridgway acknowledged fans may be disappointed and told people with Down syndrome and autism: “You matter so much and I’m glad you’re here.”
“I commend you and your family for having the strength and courage to move forward,” he said.
Ridgway and Ashley’s announcement comes after they revealed on Instagram that they were expecting a child in March.
The following month, the couple, who married in October 2025, announced that there was a 95 percent chance their baby would be born with Down syndrome, calling it a “gut punch.”
