YouTuber announces wife has terminated pregnancy due to Down syndrome diagnosis

YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife revealed this week that they ended the pregnancy after discovering their unborn child had Down syndrome, sharing an emotional account of what they described as one of the hardest decisions of their lives.

Ridgway announced the diagnosis again their decision in an article on Wednesday in X, she said they fought the choice after doctors informed them that it was possible that their child would be born with this gene.

“This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” Ridgway wrote. “The decision was not made lightly. We are very grateful for the personal stories you shared with us, especially the unconditional support we received from the fans no matter what we decided.”

Ridgway, whose YouTube channel McJuggerNuggets has more than 4 million followers, had kept his followers anonymous during his wife Ashley’s pregnancy. He posted a video on his channel where they read the confirmation of the Trisomy 21 diagnosis, and his wife cried over the news.

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He admitted that some fans might be disappointed if they heard that his wife had an abortion, and thanked others for supporting him.

“I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news,” Ridgway wrote. “We’re devastated. This has hurt both of us, especially Ashley. She had surgery earlier this week and is on the mend. Thank you, everything went well, but we are emotionally drained.”

He calculated the statistics of Down syndrome, and said that half of children with this disease have heart defects, 75% have hearing problems, and half will also have eye problems, adding that “immune dysfunction, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, delayed physical development, muscle discomfort, facial structure problems, reduced life expectancy,” are also challenges.

“Sadly, the list is long, feel free to look it up… Down Syndome [sic] it’s not a ‘blessing,’ it’s obviously a—-y from a health standpoint,” Ridgway wrote.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., listens. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

The announcement went viral on X, formerly Twitter, causing concern and backlash.

On Friday send to XHouse Speaker Mike Johnson wrote, “In 29 days, we will celebrate the 250th birthday of our unique nation, the greatest of all because we were the first to proclaim the plain truth that all men are created equal by God. Not ‘born equal.’ ‘We were created equal.’ Because God made us all in His image, it means that EVERY SINGLE PERSON has an immeasurable SHADOW and TRUTH—and our worth is in no way related to the color of our skin, what zip code we live in, what our abilities are, our state of life, or anything else.”

Johnson added, “Our value is natural, because it is given to us by our loving Heavenly Father. When a culture is focused on the point of depravity where ‘influencers’ can go online and casually destroy the willful killing of their precious child, the survival of that culture itself is at risk.”

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Abby Johnson, CEO of “And Then It Was Gone,” speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Mexico City, Mexico, on Nov. 19, 2022. (Luis Cortes/Reuters)

Former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson shared her dismay at Thursday is the answer in X.

“Holy crap. I walk out of here bragging about killing a good kid with no remorse,” Johnson said.

“Your child was brutally and brutally killed in his mother’s womb… a place that should be very safe,” he added. “I hope you are thinking about his fear as he is torn apart. I hope you are thinking about his pain. In the meantime, you are saving your dog from cancer. What a beast of a man.”

Kyle Mann of Babyl Bee called him “evil.”

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A private activist confronts anti-abortion activists outside the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City on May 7, 2022, amid weekly protests fueled by the Supreme Court’s leaked Roe v. Wade. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

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Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist, responded to Ridgway’s post in which someone replied, “Who are you to judge him?” again Hemingway replied“Just a person who cares about human rights.”

Another user wrote: “My son has Down syndrome and it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. The list of conditions sounds scary at first, but modern medicine can do a lot for him. If you ever get the right test, I promise you won’t regret accepting your child.”

While some responses showed sympathy for the Ridgways, the overwhelming number of comments on YouTube and X for Ridgway seemed to express anger and sadness.

In a letter responding to critics, Ridgway wrote in part, “I have never seen such hatred and vitriol from two people who are saddened by the loss of their unborn child and made an impossible decision. The last 24 hours have revealed the most disturbing side of humanity. Being called ‘murderous pieces of —-, bad, compared to ON-THOPTS’ and accepting Hitler.”

He added, “The reason this exploded is very simple: BECAUSE NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT. I can’t blame people for not talking about this vulnerable experience openly because you see the disgusting backlash that’s happening. It’s very divisive. Fortunately, after 20 years on the internet, this is part of the course for me, so I can help continue the crazy conversation.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Ridgway for further comment.