Jesy Nelson has shared a picture of her twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, in hospital as they continue receiving treatment following their spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) diagnosis.
The former Little Mix singer posted a photo on Instagram showing the twins, who have the rare genetic condition SMA Type 1, kept warm in furry onesies and star blankets during a hospital visit.
Twins' diagnosis and ongoing care
The twins suffered irreversible nerve damage and have been told they will likely never walk. Jesy has been back and forth to hospital to receive care for her children.
Jesy launched a public petition calling for newborn SMA screening via the routine heel-prick test, which quickly surpassed 150,000 signatures and led to a debate in Parliament.
Campaign success
The former Little Mix singer also joined forces with The Mirror to demand that all babies be checked at birth for SMA after her own twins were diagnosed too late.
Routine newborn SMA testing via heel-prick blood sample is set to begin across around three-quarters of England starting this month, with full national expansion planned by October 2027.
Jesy said: "Today is a day of hope. This is a victory for every family affected by SMA, whilst it can’t change the future of our children, I know it marks the beginning of a brighter future for future SMA families.
"It's an overwhelming feeling I can't really explain, to be honest. I just feel quite emotional. And I'm so grateful to the Mirror. When you go to your petrol garage, people that may not follow me necessarily on Instagram but they'll see the newspaper."
Jesy's fears for her children
Jesy added: "Knowing that future families will have access to early diagnosis and the opportunity for the best possible outcomes is something I’m incredibly proud to have supported."
The Little Mix star previously said she fears her children will be angry with her when they grow up because she didn't spot the signs of SMA sooner. She worries they will feel she could have given them a different life.
"No one should ever have to go through this and it infuriates me that one day I'm going to have to have a conversation with them and say maybe this didn't need to be this way and they're going to have questions for me," she explained.
"I don't know, these are things that I have to battle with every day of like what are they going to ask when I'm older? Are they going to be mad at me that I didn't see the signs sooner and that I could have potentially given them a completely different life?"
