AniAko

I’ve never seen such hate and vitriol for two people grieving the loss of their unborn child and making an impossible decision. The last 24 hours have exposed a side of humanity that is deeply disturbing. Being called “murderous pieces of shit, evil, compared to Hitler” and receiving NON-STOP DEATH THREATS. Seeing my 6-year old dog with Stage 4 Kidney Disease be used as a weapon, manipulating my words and intent in a tweet or saying we’ll regret this decision forever and must repent to God is absolute insanity. If you ever wanted to marvel at the depravity of people online, just check the replies on my latest tweet. It’s a shit-show of epic proportions. This is reflective of the current world and landscape we’re all living in. 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. So many saying they would’ve kept the child, put it up for adoption or are suddenly ready to adopt a down syndrome child, that’s great! You can do all those things. 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. There has been some heinous shit said about my wife and I on some extremely large accounts…It baffles me that there are such trashy-ass people who have significant followings. If you can’t contribute anything meaningful to the conversation aside from insults then just don’t post. On the other hand, there has been tremendous stories of people who kept their Down Syndrome baby and that’s awesome! Very courageous and they do look very happy! That is your choice and I support it. This was ours and we can do that. It’s very easy to accept the differences between us when it has no actual bearing on your life. What shocked me most of all was that this story has become mainstream news…A couple’s abortion is suddenly newsworthy in 2026…? There are over 1,000,000 abortions every single year for a myriad of reasons, this is happening on a DAILY BASIS and is the most common outcome for Trisomy 21, yet this one blows up and people are surprised…? The reason this blew up is quite simple: IT’S BECAUSE NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT. I can’t blame people for not talking about these vulnerable experiences publicly because you see the disgusting backlash that ensues. It’s very divisive. Luckily, after 20 years on the Internet, this is par the course for me taking on the crazies, so I’m glad I can help further the conversation. That’s exactly why I wanted to share this story. People still need to see vulnerability and hear the raw truth. There is real suffering going on and it is being done in silence and fear. So many mothers have reached out privately commending us on our bravery to speak truthfully about this topic and we really appreciate that support! We want you to feel less alone in this and less ashamed. There has never been a more important time to speak up and out about the things that matter. Do not let the vocal minority stop you from sharing your truth. To those who have been affected by this or are confronted with a similar situation in the future, we have your back and please feel free to reach out. I’m sure this will follow us awhile especially when we try for a kid again in the near future. (CONTINUED)

I’ll prolly get crucified for saying that out loud, but I think it’s a valid decision. not everyone has the ability to raise a special needs child. also, they have the right to decide whether they want a child, with or without a down syndrome. the only problem imo is making it public. it’s sending a very negative message to people of special needs. they should’ve just done it without making any announcement.

90% of people who are told their fetus will have Down syndrome end the pregnancy. Virtually none talk about it. This is common and yet shrouded in shame. I’m not sure piling more shame onto it helps anyone, although I’m sure it makes some people feel morally superior.

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. ❤️

I believe in women having access to abortion and a woman’s right to choose in many situations. I also believe there should be some restrictions on abortion and that we should change how we educate about abortion in sex ed class. It should be presented as a grave decision with lifelong emotional consequences that you chose to end the life of the embryo or fetus that could have been born and been your child. Women should know it’s not a “clump of cells” and see images of what a fetus looks like at different stages and see video of ultrasounds. My daughter was jumping up and down like she was on a trampoline at her 10 week ultrasound. She was doing something funny and active every single ultrasound (I needed them weekly since I was high risk) She still has the same personality today. In school I was told abortion was removing a clump of cells and that was a lie and not scientific at all. By 6 weeks an embryo has human features and is not a clump of cells. We need to find a middle ground on this issue that doesn’t remove access for women to choose abortion safely, as women will get abortions on the black market anyways and it will cease being safe. But unlimited access and lack of education has led society to a really dark place.

90% of people who are told their fetus will have Down syndrome end the pregnancy. Virtually none talk about it. This is common and yet shrouded in shame. I’m not sure piling more shame onto it helps anyone, although I’m sure it makes some people feel morally superior.