YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife Ashley say they are receiving death threats and online abuse after deciding to terminate their pregnancy following a Down syndrome diagnosis.Jessie, 33, shared the news via Instagram on Wednesday. It was later reposted by Ashley, 31. The couple said the decision came after doctors diagnosed the fetus with trisomy 21, another term for Down syndrome.“This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate our pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” Jesse wrote. Trisomy 21 is another name for Down syndrome. “The selection was not made lightly.”He said the experience had been “extremely painful” for both of them and acknowledged that some followers might disagree with his decision.“When I first encountered this news, I was shocked but optimistic,” Jesse wrote.He added: “If they’re a little slow intellectually, we’ll make it work. I signed up to be a parent no matter what…but I didn’t fully understand what Down syndrome was.”In her post, Ridgway also mentioned health complications associated with Down syndrome, including heart defects, hearing problems, and delayed development. He said he and Ashley consulted with doctors, family members and genetic counselors before making their decision.He claimed that many women choose to terminate pregnancies after a Down syndrome diagnosis. He also said he believes such decisions are often kept private because of stigma.“It was more than I expected, I thought it would be less because I’ve heard so many people say they have kept or will keep the baby,” she wrote.He added: “I believe this is because most terminations occur in private. [and] This seems embarrassing. A lot of decisions are being made.”Addressing critics, including those with autism or Down syndrome, he said: “You mean so much and we’re glad you’re here. I applaud you and your families for having the strength and courage to move forward.”She said the couple still believed they had made the right decision for their family and hoped to try for another pregnancy in the future.Jessie said, “As far as we are concerned, we have made a difficult decision and we believe it will be beneficial for our family in the long run. Thankfully, we had a choice.” “It will take some time to move forward, but we are excited to try again in the future and hopefully get better results.”Following the announcement, Ridgway said that both he and Ashley had faced online abuse and death threats. He said he was receiving “hatred and bitterness”, including being called a “killer piece” and being compared to Adolf Hitler.She also claimed that some users had targeted her six-year-old dog, who suffers from stage four kidney disease, as part of the harassment. Ridgway condemned those sending the threats, calling them “trash people” and criticizing individuals who use religious arguments to justify abuse.The couple lives in New Jersey and first announced their pregnancy in March via a social media post showing ultrasound images. Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in New Jersey, and the couple said the procedure was performed earlier this week.Jesse Ridgeway (McJuggernauts) YouTube channel has over 4.3 million subscribers.