Jesy Nelson Opens Up About Her Twin Babies’ Health: “They May Never Walk”
Jesy Nelson has shared heartbreaking news about her twin daughters, revealing that they have been diagnosed with a severe genetic condition that could prevent them from walking.
The former Little Mix star, 34, welcomed her twin girls, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, last May. The babies were born prematurely at 31 weeks, and Nelson has been open about the challenges she faced during her pregnancy with musician Zion Foster, their father.
On Sunday, Nelson posted an emotional video on Instagram explaining that her daughters have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1. She described the condition as “the most severe muscular disease.”
“It does affect every muscle in the body, down to legs, arms, breathing, swallowing,” she said.
Nelson revealed that the twins were showing limited movement in their legs and were struggling to feed properly. After months of hospital visits and assessments at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, she said she was told that her daughters would “probably never going to be able to walk. They probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled.”
The singer explained that the disease can be fatal without timely treatment, with life expectancy often not extending past two years. Thankfully, Nelson said her daughters have now received treatment, which she described as lifesaving. “Because if they don’t have it, they will die,” she said.
Since the diagnosis, Nelson has taken on the role of caregiver, helping her babies with breathing machines and other care. She called the past three months “the most heartbreaking time of my life” and said the experience has changed her life completely.
Despite the severity of the condition, Nelson remains hopeful about her daughters’ future. “I believe they will defy all the odds. With the right help, they will fight this,” she said. She also wanted to share her story to raise awareness and help other children get diagnosed as early as possible.
SMA is a progressive muscle-wasting disease. In 2021, the NHS approved a gene therapy drug called Zolgensma to treat babies with the condition, but timing is critical, as irreversible damage may already have occurred in the nervous system.
Currently, screening is only offered to siblings of children with SMA, though charities like SMA UK are pushing for it to be added to the routine blood spot test for all newborns. According to SMA UK, 47 babies were born with the disease in the UK in 2024, while roughly one in 40 people carry the altered gene that causes SMA.
Nelson, who left Little Mix in 2020 and has since pursued a solo career, including her 2021 single “Boyz” featuring Nicki Minaj, has been open about the pride she feels in her body and motherhood. In an Instagram post from October, she wrote she had “never felt prouder” and said giving birth made her “realise how incredible my body actually is.”
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