Jesy Nelson Reveals Twins' SMA Type 1 Diagnosis

Jesy Nelson, the former Little Mix singer, revealed on Sunday that her eight-month-old twin daughters have been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, a severe genetic condition that weakens muscles throughout the body and can prove fatal without prompt treatment.

The 34-year-old singer shared the news in an emotional Instagram video, explaining that her daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, were born prematurely in May after a complicated pregnancy. Nelson and her partner, musician Zion Foster, welcomed the girls at 31 weeks following surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a condition that affects identical twins sharing a placenta and can lead to imbalanced blood flow. The twins spent time in neonatal intensive care before coming home.

Nelson first noticed potential issues when her mother pointed out the girls were not moving their legs as much as expected for their age. Healthcare professionals initially attributed the delays to prematurity, advising her not to compare them to full-term babies. Later concerns arose over feeding difficulties, with the infants struggling to swallow properly despite repeated visits to general practitioners.