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YouTuber Jesse Ridgway<\/a> and his wife, Ashley, shared that they terminated their pregnancy following a Down syndrome diagnosis. What happened online afterward has shocked the couple, but Jesse said he is hopeful that sharing their experience may help other couples feel less alone. <\/p>\n The YouTuber, who\u2019s been a content creator for 20 years and has more than 4.3 million subscribers on his main channel<\/a>, shared a video on his personal YouTube channel<\/a> last week that featured he and his wife receiving the results of an amniocentesis \u2014 a test for certain genetic abnormalities, chromosomal conditions, and fetal infections \u2014 and the results were consistent with Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome<\/a>. <\/p>\n After the couple read the results, Jesse said that they\u2019d discussed beforehand whether they\u2019d consider terminating the pregnancy. \u201cI know this is traumatic for the whole community. Now that we have a definitive result, we\u2019ll talk with the counselors, and we\u2019re gonna have some hard conversations,\u201d he said. Both Jesse and Ashley were emotionally distraught and crying throughout the video.<\/p>\n Jesse told The Times over a phone call on Thursday evening, with Ashley beside him as she recovered from her procedure, that sharing the diagnosis online happened accidentally. The couple was in the middle of a gender reveal video when they spotted the preliminary markers for Trisomy 21 on the same report. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were filming and ready to celebrate with our audience and we were blindsided,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat do we tell people? How do we navigate this? I reverted to being honest, and yes, that led us to the last 48 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Jesse posted a lengthy statement that disclosed the couple\u2019s decision to terminate the pregnancy. Ashley reposted the statement to her own Instagram. <\/p>\n \u201cThis week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,\u201d the since-expired Instagram story read. <\/p>\n Jesse continued that the decision was \u201cnot made lightly\u201d and said he appreciated the messages of support he and Ashley received. \u201cI know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news. We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley. She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, but emotionally we are drained.\u201d<\/p>\n The YouTuber continued the series of posts explaining: \u201cWhen I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic. … I signed on to be a parent, come what may … but I just didn\u2019t fully understand what Down Syndrome entailed. Once we made it public, it became clear that MOST people don\u2019t know what Down Syndrome entails (and no, it\u2019s not the same as Autism). <\/p>\n \u201c50% of babies with DS have heart defects. 75% will have hearing challenges. Over 50% will have vision problems. Impaired immune function, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, delayed physical development, poor muscle tone, structural issues with face, decreased lifespan, etc. … Sadly, the list is long, feel free to look it up … Down Syndome isn\u2019t a \u201cblessing\u201d, it is objectively sh\u2014 from a health perspective. I didn\u2019t realize just how rough it is for the child, let alone the family.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the National Institutes of Health<\/a>, about 6,000 babies are born in the U.S. each year with the condition, affecting about 1 out of every 700 babies. \u201c[W]ith appropriate support and treatment, many people with Down syndrome lead happy, productive lives<\/a>,\u201d the agency notes, but there are often significant lifelong health challenges and risks.\u201d<\/p>\n