American Influencers who terminated for T21.

[ScaredButUnavoidable]

Has everyone else seen all the hatred online for the social media influencers who have decided to terminate a pregnancy due to a diagnosis of T21?

I have no idea who the couple are but today my social media feed is full of really abhorrent articles, videos and posts aimed at them (and about termination in general) and I’m just horrified.

Unsurprisingly they are in America, but even so.

I’m assuming the couple have been streaming videos about the pregnancy since the start and this announcement seems to have sparked absolute outrage.

Ok, the Influencers must have realised that some people would be upset by their decision, but at the same time, those same people must understand that although couples choose to have terminations based on medical conditions it’s still usually a very difficult and upsetting decision for them to make.

Has anyone else seen it?
I’m deleting as much of it as I can from my timeline but it’s constant.
They are even getting death threats.

It’s like a witch-hunt, it’s disgusting 😢

It’s a tough one, at first I thought they should have kept this information private. But on social media I also see a lot of accounts from parents of children with DS where they constantly talk about how wrong it is for people to terminate DS pregnancies and how much they love their life and their child. Which is obviously good for them, but think on social media it has been taboo to talk about terminating DS pregnancies and I actually think it is important for the other side to be shown so couples in the same situation can see that some people make the decision to terminate and move on with their lives. Sadly i think the back lash from this will likely have the opposite effect.

As someone who has had a child with medical problems and been in and out of hospital (thankfully nothing long lasting) it is the toughest thing.

I have no evidence of it being made up but it certainly wouldn't be the first sick thing to happen for online engagement.

There are several posts that show their history on YouTube. Several videos made for shock value, all based around their relationship and around people dying or being in A&E.

I'll try and attach the image if I can.

What grates on me is that they have monetised this.

Why else would you do it??

They haven’t been living under a rock, so they know full well what a divisive subject it is in America.

I will not cry as my youngest is due back from school. This topic always gets to me. I knew prenatally about T21 and yes I did have the child. She is lovely and literally no health issues. She also loves KPop so I getting ready for the 20th watching of KPop demon hunters. I would never damn these people for their choice but people with DS are not a burden. I work and we have another wonderful child who is doing extremely well at their GCSEs. Life is too short to be nasty but I love my children and I get upset when people think my youngest is less of a person for having an extra bit of DNA. I will give her an extra big hug. She loves hugs.

Unfortunately some parents struggle more and do find their child to be a burden though. For the person I know with a child with Down syndrome, as well as the day to day struggles of which there are many due to her child’s health issues, she also worries endlessly about what will happen when she is no longer able to care for her or is no longer here. You can’t categorically say they are not a burden.

Lots of sicko influencers do this, it’s all about the money to them. I don’t know if this couple have other children, but I hope they don’t and I hope they don’t have any in future, because they will just be used and exploited for cash. This baby was better not being born into such a family.

With respect though, you admit your child has “literally no health issues”

you may have a lovely life with your wonderful T21 child, but it’s not like that for everyone.

no one tmfr because they think the child is less of a person. It’s not just a bit of DNA, it can mean months in hospital, years of operations, no communication, early onset Alzheimer’s, full time care, worry about what happens when you are gone. You might not be able to work, no respite care.

some T21 children can be a burden. Because yours is not doesn’t mean none are.

if your child had been born with the severe issues that t21 children can have, your life would be very different. And we’re not seeing that in social media…

I am leaving Mumsnet and deleting this post.

I don’t understand this witch hunt either. It is a personal decision and one I hopefully never have to make. I have no doubt that people with DS can have fulfilling lives, or that I’d be able to love and care for a child regardless of disabilities or anything else that gets thrown in our way, but what would make me seriously think about a termination in this situation is what will happen to them when they are an adult and I’m not around anymore. The thought of them being at the mercy of the state and potentially scared and confused why their mother has abandoned them would break my heart.

All children are a ‘burden’ which reduces to the sum of their care needs, nobody would want to do it. It’s the beauty of knowing them and therefore the care being worth it. I don’t know anyone that would wish away a disabled relative for any reason.

I totally acknowledge the odds of lifelong care
for a child with DS are higher than without. But look at the sheer number of people on here with anxious, autistic kids who ‘seemed fine until the wheels came off at 14’ or whatever, who say they will never be independent.

Parenting is just a huge lottery and the odds of having a SEN child seem very high whichever way you look at it now.

God those titles. Is nothing sacred?

It's sickening. I'm not one to believe theories I read on X but I genuinely believe that this was made up and it's truly outrageous.