This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21.
The choice was not made lightly. We really appreciate all of the personal stories that you guys shared with us, especially the unconditional support we received from fans with no matter what we decided.
I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news. We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley.
She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, but emotionally we are drained.
Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome, is caused by an extra chromosome. It is caused by an error in cell division, like a glitch. The odds of a baby having it is 1 in 1000.
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.
Once we made it public, it became clear that MOST people don’t know what Down Syndrome entails (and no, it’s not the same as Autism):
50% of babies with DS have heart defects. 75% will have hearing challenges. Over 50% will have vision problems. Impaired immune function, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, delayed physical development, poor muscle tone, structural issues with face, decreased lifespan, etc…Sadly, the list is long, feel free to look it up…Down Syndome isn’t a “blessing”, it is objectively shitty from a health perspective.
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.
The miscarriage risk is also close to 50%, which made matters worse…they may never see the light of day and it puts Ashley further at risk.
We spoke with doctors, friends, family and genetic counselors and learned that up to 90% of women terminate their pregnancy after learning the baby has Trisomy 21.
This was WAY higher than I expected, I thought it would be lower given that I hear so many say they kept or would keep the baby. I believe that’s because most terminations happen privately, it feels shameful. A lot of judgment being cast.
You never think you’d be in this type of situation until it happens to you and then things change.
To all of my fans who have weighed in on this topic who have Autism, Down Syndrome or any other conditions…we appreciate you. You matter a lot and we’re glad you’re here. I commend you and your families for having the strength and courage to push forward.
As for us, we made a difficult decision that we believe in the long-run will be beneficial for our family. Thankfully, we had a choice.
It will take a little time to move on, but we are excited to try again in the future and hopefully have a better outcome.
Love you guys & thank you for understanding. ❤️
Florida provides timely election results, as does every state – red or blue – other than California. This is not about ballot access or integrity. It's about the unique ineffectiveness of our state government.
It may be cynical, but it is also logical that legislators are 100% aware that their chosen system promotes insecurity, doubt, and apathy within the minority population. Why vote if the system feels rigged? Doesn't help that Trump fans those flames with his rhetoric.
It takes longer because state leaders passed laws to send mail in ballots to every registered voter, allows them to be postmarked on the day of the election, allows 7 days for them to be returned and then 10 days to “cure” signature verification issues after that. That’s a policy choice. State leaders could choose to have different deadlines & the count would go faster. I’m not endorsing or opposing the policy…just explaining how it works.
I have doubt the film will do a fine job making the executed cop into a monsterous villain who deserved to be murdered. But in a time where leftists have become far too easily nudged to commit deadly violence, is this really the message we should be sending?
The production of a film celebrating the murder of cops (at least in the trailer) makes perfect sense in an era when the SPLC is funding the KKK in order to justify their own bloated existence.
The moral confusion of our day is beyond the pale. Lord have mercy.
What experience does Shaw have?? Well, it's actually her *lack* of experience swimming in the ocean of lies pushed by teachers unions that makes her more qualified than anyone else running.
I'm honored and grateful that Californians have made us the top vote-getter in this race. Tonight's results send a clear message: families want accountability, academic excellence, and schools that put students first.
Despite millions of dollars spent by special interests and the education establishment to protect the status quo, voters chose a different path. This campaign has always been about giving parents a voice and delivering a better future for our children.
We're grateful for this momentum and ready to take our message of real change to voters across California as we head toward November. Linked arms. Fighting the good fight.
Literally no one in any business should expect to keep their job if they behave like this. He confirms every stereotype that has been built about liberal, self-important, "journalists". He's like a character from Anchorman.
https://t.co/2mlPeXK4Bw
@agraybee When early in Episode IV Obi-Wan Kenobi says that only storm troopers are good enough with blasters to be able to disable a sandcrawler.
A) It's a giant, painfully slow target, and B) the storm troopers miss nearly every shot they take in evey scene thereafter.
The moral corruption of far too many Republican candidates makes it impossible to vote for them.
But platform wise, Republicans are certainly the lesser of two evils.
That being said, voting for a lesser evil is still voting for evil.
Vote for good, not evil.
The Democratic party has gone all-in on denying rights.
Deny the right to life of a child in the womb.
Deny the right to privacy of a girl in a locker room.
Deny the rights of parents in the education of their children.
Deny the rights of worshippers in the practice of religion.
Seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness.
Believe the gospel.
Preach the gospel.
Love Jesus.
Love your family.
Love your neighbor.
Pray for wisdom.
Live upright.
Do justice.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly.
Vote accordingly.
2 Kngs 17: 33 So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
We have 2 political parties in USA. One is godless, and the other claims God as a pretense.
Both are operating on worldly wisdom.
Neither follow God's law, nor God's wisdom. And neither seek the Kingdom of God.
Yet as citizens we have a duty to seek to positively influence our laws and choose our leaders in such a manner that our neighbors benefit and peace is established/maintained.
Indeed, this is state enforcement of religious dogma. It's both immoral and an illegal violation of the first amendment. It's sad that we're going to need a case to go all the way to SCOTUS to end this evil.
The Oregon Department of Human Services permanently took a woman’s daughter away because she refuses to lie to her daughter and affirm that she is a boy.
Her girl is caught up in a cult, and the cult enforcer is the government.
If your ethics are shaped by historical, biblical, or even pragmatic standards, you at least have *something* to base your standards on. But the standard-less crowd is also the most adamant about calling out those who are in violation by, well, having standards.
The thing about sexual ethics is that there's no neutral position. There's no "live and let live" option because those who would advocate for such a position have decided that any disagreement with them is bigoted. So they're functionally saying "live by our ethics or else".