{"id":506,"date":"2026-09-24T13:11:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T17:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thetiesthatbind\/?p=506"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:11:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T17:11:52","slug":"jesse-ridgway-doubles-down-on-aborting-baby-with-down-syndrome-fires-back-at-christian-critics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thetiesthatbind\/2026\/09\/jesse-ridgway-doubles-down-on-aborting-baby-with-down-syndrome-fires-back-at-christian-critics.html","title":{"rendered":"Jesse Ridgway Doubles Down on Aborting Baby With Down Syndrome, Fires Back at Christian Critics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Jesse Ridgway \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

YouTube personality Jesse Ridgway is doubling down on the decision he and his wife, Ashley, made to abort their unborn son after learning he had Down syndrome, while firing back at Christian and pro-life critics who condemned the couple.<\/p>\n

Ridgway addressed the controversy in a recent video, roughly three months after the couple revealed they had ended the pregnancy following a Trisomy 21 diagnosis, the chromosomal condition that causes Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

The YouTuber said he had largely stayed out of the public eye since then for \u201cmental reasons, emotional \u2026 you name it,\u201d but decided to speak out after months of criticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had it up to here with people\u2019s actions,\u201d Ridgway said. \u201cActually, no real actions. It\u2019s mostly just been words.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ridgway recalled that he and Ashley were \u201csuper excited\u201d when they learned they were expecting a baby boy. That excitement turned to heartbreak, he said, after diagnostic testing indicated their son had Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur hearts broke,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The couple initially planned to continue the pregnancy. But Ridgway said he began researching what life with Down syndrome could mean for their son and their family, including the possibility of heart abnormalities, vision and hearing problems and developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just did not fully comprehend just how much health turmoil there would be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ridgway also rejected what he characterized as a tendency to \u201cglamorize\u201d Down syndrome by describing it as \u201ca blessing.\u201d While acknowledging that many parents raise children with Down syndrome and \u201cmake it work,\u201d he said his research ultimately convinced him that continuing the pregnancy \u201cjust didn\u2019t seem right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re having a child, you want the absolute best for them,\u201d Ridgway said. \u201cYou want to set them up for the best life possible. And it just felt like when you\u2019re dealt with that, it\u2019s a losing hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the experiences of people with Down syndrome vary considerably. The condition can be associated with health problems and developmental delays, but people with Down syndrome can attend school, work, participate in their communities and lead fulfilling lives.<\/p>\n

Ridgway also praised prenatal genetic screening, arguing that it gives parents an opportunity to identify conditions before they \u201cdetrimentally change your life forever\u201d and, in his words, \u201cstart over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those comments and the couple\u2019s decision have generated strong criticism, particularly among Christian and pro-life voices. Some critics have called the abortion \u201ceugenics\u201d and \u201cevil,\u201d while others have argued that the couple had the financial resources to care for a child with additional needs.<\/p>\n

Ridgway said some \u201cvery devout religious people\u201d told the couple they were going to hell and directed what he described as \u201chate\u201d toward them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just Hell,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was one of the most disappointing\/depressing\/infuriating windows of my life thus far because we really \u2026 wanted this to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

His response to critics grew profane as the video continued. Ridgway argued that those condemning the decision would not have been responsible for raising the child, paying medical expenses or dealing with the challenges his family could have faced.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to keep your child with developmental issues, go for it,\u201d he said. \u201cBy all means, that\u2019s fine. That\u2019s your choice. But we can have our choice. It\u2019s not that complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ridgway also responded individually to critics who accused the couple of monetizing the abortion and questioned how he could devote significant care to a dog with kidney disease while choosing to end his son\u2019s life after a Down syndrome diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Despite the backlash, Ridgway made clear that he and Ashley stand by their decision. His latest video has now reignited the controversy, drawing renewed attention to questions surrounding abortion, prenatal testing and how society views the lives of unborn children diagnosed with disabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

YouTube personality Jesse Ridgway is doubling down on the decision he and his wife, Ashley, made to abort their unborn son after learning he had Down syndrome, while firing back at Christian and pro-life critics who condemned the couple. Ridgway addressed the controversy in a recent video, roughly three months after the couple revealed they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nJesse Ridgway Doubles Down on Aborting Baby With Down Syndrome, Fires Back at Christian Critics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jesse Ridgway is speaking out after facing Christian and pro-life backlash over the decision to abort his unborn son with Down syndrome.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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