The Young Couple alum Jen Arnold it has a weight behind the promoter Jesse Ridgwayyour wife, Ashley Ridgwayshe terminated her pregnancy after being diagnosed with Down syndrome.
“Prenatal counseling has become one of the most important areas of modern medicine,” Arnold, 52, wrote in Instagram on Friday, June 12. “The goal of prenatal counseling is not to guide families in a decision, but to help them make a decision clearly and with support.”
Arnold works as a neonatologist, where he often conducts prenatal consultations to inform parents of unexpected pregnancy complications.
“As our ability to diagnose fetal conditions increases — and as fetal interventions and prenatal care continue to evolve — families need more than just information,” she explained. “They need careful, compassionate, non-directive guidance that helps them understand prognosis, uncertainty and options in a patient- and family-centered way.”
Arnold continued, “As a pediatrician, and as a person with disabilities, I believe that those conversations should include the dignity and the lived experience of people with disabilities.
Jesse, 33, announced earlier this month that his wife, 31, recently she had an abortion.
“My wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” he wrote in a social media statement, noting that the fetus was diagnosed with Down syndrome. “The choice was not made lightly. … I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news. We are devastated. This has hurt both of us, especially Ashley.”
At the time Jesse added, “We made a difficult decision that we believe will benefit our family in the long run. We are thankful that we had a choice. It will take us a while to move forward, but we are happy to try again in the future and hope to have a better outcome.”
Jesse Ridgway and his wife, Ashley Ridgway, have been at the center of controversy after making the “difficult decision to terminate her pregnancy” after being diagnosed with Down syndrome. “We’re so excited to celebrate the gender reveal in the Psycho video with you guys, but really ‘art imitates life’ – fashion… […]
Jesse and Ashley’s decision it sparked a widespread backlash online.
“[This conversation] it takes honesty and care,” Arnold, who lives with skeletal dysplasia, said Friday. Families deserve accurate, compassionate and unbiased counseling as they make deeply personal decisions.”
Arnold also responded by commenting online that people with Down syndrome have less “meaningful” lives.
“People with Down syndrome are not diagnosed, they are people,” she said. “Their lives are full of relationships, happiness, challenge, dignity, humanity, just like everyone else.”
