Influencer couple have shared their decision to terminate a pregnancy after a Down syndrome diagnosis.
Jesse, 33, is known online as McJuggerNuggets and has more than four million YouTube subscribers and his partner Ashley Ridgway made the controversial call.
The couple first announced in March that they were expecting their first child. Last month, they filmed themselves receiving the results of an amniocentesis test. The test confirmed their unborn baby had Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome.
Down syndrome occurs when a person is born with an extra chromosome. The condition can affect how the brain and body develop. It can also be linked with different health and developmental needs.
Jesse later shared that he and Ashley had made the “difficult decision” to end the pregnancy. He said the decision followed conversations with medical experts, family and friends. He also said the couple had considered potential health complications and lifelong challenges.
Jesse said he was initially optimistic about raising a child with the condition. He later said the information they received changed how they viewed the situation. He described the decision as extremely traumatic for both of them.
Jesse said choice was not made lightly
Jesse said Ashley underwent the procedure earlier this week and was recovering physically. He said the emotional impact had been harder for both of them. He also said they remained hopeful about trying for another child in future.
“I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news. We are devastated,” he wrote.
“This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley. She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend.”
Jesse said the couple understood that many people would disagree with their decision. However, he said they believed it was the right choice for their family. He also said the choice had not been made lightly.
“The choice was not made lightly,” he said.
The announcement prompted strong criticism from some people online. Jesse said the couple had received death threats and abusive messages. He later addressed the backlash in a longer statement shared on social media.
“I’ve never seen such hate and vitriol for two people grieving the loss of their unborn child and making an impossible decision,” he wrote.
Couple faced backlash after announcement
Jesse said some critics had called them “murderous pieces of s***” and “evil.” He said others compared them to Hitler and sent repeated death threats, he described the response as “deeply disturbing.”
He also said people had used the couple’s sick dog against them. Their six-year-old dog has stage four kidney disease. Jesse said some people had manipulated his earlier words and intentions.
“The last 24 hours have exposed a side of humanity that is deeply disturbing,” he wrote.
“What’s more troubling is a lot of these people use God or Jesus as their justification for threatening us and wanting to cast us into Hell…seems pretty hypocritical.”
Jesse also responded to people who said they would have kept the baby. He said others had suggested adoption or said they would adopt a child with Down syndrome. He said those were choices other people could make.
“You can do all those things,” he wrote.
“However, many of the people throwing stones don’t even have children, let alone one with a condition and most likely will never do the things they say they’re going to do.”
Ridgway encouraged more open discussion
Jesse said the couple had also received supportive private messages. He said some came from mothers and people with similar experiences; he said many people had thanked them for speaking openly about the subject.
The influencer said abortion after a Trisomy 21 diagnosis is common but rarely discussed publicly, and he argued that silence around such decisions can increase shame and fear. He added that their openness was intended to help others feel less alone.
“People still need to see vulnerability and hear the raw truth,” Jesse wrote.
“There is real suffering going on and it is being done in silence and fear.”
He said people facing similar situations should feel able to seek support. He also said he expects the story to follow them for some time. The couple still hopes to try for another child in the near future.
Jesse said sharing the experience had been painful but important. He encouraged others not to be stopped by harsh online reactions. He said the backlash showed why people often avoid discussing difficult reproductive decisions.
Featured image credit: @mcjuggernuggets/Instagram
