Jesse Ridgway, 33, and his wife Ashley have terminated their pregnancy and gave reasons for their action.
The YouTuber took to his Instagram Stories on Wednesday, June 3, to explain that they recently made the “difficult decision” to end Ashley’s pregnancy after receiving a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis. Ashley later reposted the statement on her own Stories.
“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.”
Jesse acknowledged that some of their fans might be “very disappointed” to hear this news and said the experience has been “extremely traumatic” for him and Ashley, 31, who terminated the pregnancy earlier this week.
“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 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 influencer said he spoke with friends, family, doctors and genetic counselors and claimed that 90% of women terminate their pregnancy after learning the baby has Down syndrome.
“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,” continued Jesse. “I believe that’s because most terminations happen privately [and] it feels shameful. A lot of judgement being cast.”
He directly addressed his fans 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 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.”
The couple, who are based in New Jersey, first announced they were expecting in March. In a joint Instagram post, the two sat together and held up a series of sonogram images.
“BABY RIDGWAY – COMING FALL 2026,” they wrote in their caption.
