Jesy Nelson has shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to her twin girls Ocean and Story, posting snaps from their party on Instagram on Friday. The former Little Mix star's daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA1) in January, a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle wasting, meaning they are unlikely to walk or regain neck strength.
After an extremely challenging first year, Jesy took to Instagram to write: "Such a special day for the most special little girls. I'm so lucky I get to be your Muma. Happy 1st birthday my Ocean and Story bear. I love you more than you will ever know." The beaming mother shared photos of herself with the twins, as well as an incredible cake, balloon decorations, and a giant light-up "ONE."
Earlier in the day, Jesy marked their birthday with an emotional video about their lives and health battles. In an audio recording over a montage of moments from the twins' first year, she read the 1987 poem "Welcome to Holland" by Emily Perl Kingsley, which describes the experience of raising a child with a disability. Jesy wrote: "I cannot believe it has been a whole year since having my beautiful baby girls. They have been through so much... There will never be enough words to describe just how incredible they actually are. My tiny little super humans. The strongest, most resilient little fighters I've ever known."
Since announcing the diagnosis, Jesy has campaigned for the NHS to expand newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy. Despite the UK's National Screening Committee rejecting calls to introduce checks in January, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced plans in March for more than 400,000 babies to be screened from October 2026. Jesy has been liaising with the politician and visited the Prime Minister's residence, sharing a selfie and writing: "When life throws you lemons…"
However, Jesy recently told fans that only certain areas of England will carry out the tests, calling it a "postcode lottery." She said: "All babies' lives matter, so as amazing as it is, there is still a long way to go… I'm going to keep pushing." A petition with 100,000 signatures is set to be debated in parliament.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disease that weakens patients by affecting motor neuron cells in the spinal cord, leading to gradual muscle wasting. Type 1, the most severe form, is evident at birth and typically leads to death by age five.
