Influencer couple Jesse and Ashley Ridgway doubled down on their decision to abort their baby after a Down syndrome diagnosis, with Ashley Ridgway claiming in a recent interview that she wants to be a “voice” for women in similar circumstances and show them that this is a “normal thing.”
Speaking with TMZ Live on Friday, the couple said they have no regrets about sharing their personal lives online despite criticism from multiple voices who condemned their decision to end their child’s life.
Jesse Ridgway said religious people online have told the couple that they will “burn in Hell” for aborting their child. He added that he has started keeping a gun on his nightstand and had a security gate installed.
“Just how hateful it’s become has definitely caused a shift in our vulnerability, but we want to keep pushing forward and remember that it is helping people,” the YouTuber claimed. “And, you know, for better or for worse, the conversation that’s being had online is one of the most important topics.”
The influencer asserted that he and his wife are “two perfectly normal people” who would “never imagine confronting a child with Down syndrome.” Ashley Ridgway added that she can relate to some of the women who have reached out to her through direct messages.
“I just want to be that voice for them to say, you know, it’s scary out there, but like the more that we put ourselves out there and say that this is a normal thing that, you know, we could talk about, and yeah, I just want to help them in any way that I can,” she stated.
On Friday, Jesse Ridgway told Page Six that one of the reasons the couple decided to have an abortion was that he realized “that more than likely, [he] will have to bury [his] son. That is not what I wanted to sign up for.”
A 2012 study published in Prenatal Diagnosis estimates that 60% to 90% of children diagnosed with Down syndrome in the United States are aborted. A 2022 Joint Economic Committee Republicans report estimates that in the absence of selective abortions, 80% more babies with Down syndrome would be born each year.
Earlier this month, Jesse Ridgway announced on social media that he and his wife had an abortion, sharing that the situation had been “extremely traumatic,” especially for his wife.
“When I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic. 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.”
The YouTuber listed various symptoms and traits associated with Down syndrome to justify the decision, noting that children who have the condition can experience impaired immune function as well as developmental and learning disabilities.
“Down syndrome isn’t a ‘blessing,’ it is objectively sh— from a health perspective,” Jesse Ridgway asserted.
“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,” he added.
Sarah St. Onge (name changed for privacy reasons), a mother who carried her daughter to term after a lethal fetal diagnosis, told The Christian Post that she felt “sickened” by what she saw in her social media feeds following Jesse Ridgway’s announcement.
“Children rely on their parents to protect them,” the writer and pro-life advocate stated. “It also reminded me of my own experience of doctors pressuring me to terminate my pregnancy.”
“When something like this becomes socially acceptable, it often evolves into a social obligation,” St. Onge said about the practice of aborting children with disabilities or lethal birth defects.
St. Onge also cautioned pro-lifers against arguing that “the test could be wrong” when advocating for the lives of babies in cases involving an adverse fetal diagnosis.
“The implication here is that a family should hold out because they’re more than likely to have a typical child. It shouldn’t matter whether the test is inaccurate or not; the child involved is a living human being and deserves her parents’ protection,” the pro-life advocate said.
Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins also responded on X to Jesse Ridgway’s announcement, stating that his child did not “deserve death because they would have had a more challenging life than others.”
“Death was not a cure,” the pro-life leader wrote.
“To every person who is reading and has Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis or another potentially fatal genetic disability, I hope you know your life has just as much value as anyone else,” Hawkins continued. “Yes, your life will be physically harder, but life is always worth living.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
