The pop star struggled to hold back tears as she shared the rare diagnosis
Charlotte Smith Senior Lifestyle Content Editor
14:02, 04 Jan 2026Updated 14:05, 04 Jan 2026
She tearfully told followers that twin babies are unlikely to ever be able to walk(Image: Neil Mockford/GC Images)
Former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson, who comes from Romford, East London, has shared that her twin babies might never be able to walk due to a rare genetic condition. The 34-year-old singer gave birth to twins Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster early in May with her fiancé, Zion Foster.
She has disclosed that the twins have been diagnosed with SMA1 (spinal muscular atrophy). In an Instagram video, she said: “We were told that they’re probably never going to be able to walk, they probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled, and so the best thing we can do right now is to get them treatment, and then just hope for the best.
“Thankfully, the girls have had their treatment, which you know, I’m so grateful for because if they don’t have it, they will die. But it has just been endless, endless amounts of hospital appointments, I practically feel like the hospital has become my second home.”
She explained that the diagnosis came after her mother noticed the twins “were not showing as much movement in their legs as they should be”, and they later started having trouble with feeding. Nelson said that when she first consulted doctors, they reassured her by saying “don’t worry, it’s fine”, before finally diagnosing SMA1.
The NHS says SMA1 leads to muscle weakness, movement issues, breathing and swallowing difficulties, muscle tremors, and problems with bones and joints. These symptoms are most often noticed in babies and toddlers, but they can also start in teenagers and adults.
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Feeling emotional, Nelson added: “The reason I wanted to make this video was because the last few months has honestly been the most heartbreaking time of my life. I literally feel like my whole life has done a 360, I almost feel like I’m grieving a life that I thought I was going to have with my children, and I’ll have to be grateful because at the end of the day, they’re still here, and that’s the main thing, and they’ve had their treatment.
“And I truly believe that my girls will fight all the odds and, with the right help, they will fight this and go on to do things that have never been done.” Nelson said she had made her children’s diagnosis public as she wanted to raise awareness of the condition.
She added: “If anyone is watching this video and they think they see these signs in their child, then please, please take your child to the doctor, to the hospital, because time is of the essence, and your child will need treatment. And the quicker you get this, the better their life will be. Thank you for listening, guys.”
In the caption of her Instagram post, Nelson said: “This means more than I can explain. PLEASE take time out and watch this. If you listen to one thing today, let it be this. Sharing something deeply personal and important please take some time to watch and share if you can.” Many people rushed to the comment section to support the singer.
Jesy Nelson (far left) exited Little Mix in December 2020
The singer experienced a series of complications during her pregnancy, including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which she documented on social media. According to the NHS, TTTS affects 10 to 15% of identical twins who share a placenta and “can have serious consequences”.
The condition is caused by abnormal connecting blood vessels in the placenta, which leads to an imbalanced blood flow from one twin to the other, leaving one with a greater blood volume than the other. One treatment involves using a laser to burn away the blood vessels in the placenta that are causing the unequal flow.
The singer underwent the emergency procedure and spent 10 weeks in the hospital before giving birth prematurely at 31 weeks on May 15.