Jesy Nelson Opens Up About Her Twin Daughters’ Rare Diagnosis: Heartbreaking Revelations and an Emotional Journey You Won’t Believe

Jesy Nelson became emotional as she spoke about her 8-month-old twin daughters’ health in her first interview since revealing their rare diagnoses. On the U.K. talk show This Morning on January 7, 2026, the Little Mix alum, 34, discussed being “overwhelmed” by the response after she shared on Instagram that her daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, had been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type 1.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, SMA is a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. There are five subtypes varying in severity and age of onset, and while there is no cure, therapies and medications can help manage symptoms.

Nelson, who welcomed her daughters with fiancé Zion Foster, 27, on May 15, 2025, told hosts Cat Deeley, 49, and Ben Shephard, 51, “We’ve been told that they will probably never walk, they’ll probably never regain their neck strength. They are going to be in wheelchairs.”

“Many stories exist where parents have been told this, and their children have gone on to do incredible things. I believe you have to manifest this into existence,” Nelson added. “They are still smiling, they’re still happy. They have each other, which is the main thing I’m grateful for. They could be going through this alone, but they’re twins, and they’re facing it together, which I think is beautiful.”

“All I can do is try my best to be there for them and give them positive energy,” she insisted.

She continued, “My whole life has completely changed. My house looks like a hospital. My hallway is filled with medical equipment. It’s crazy how you go from one extreme to another.”

Nelson explained that Story requires a breathing machine at night because she isn’t strong enough to breathe alone. She said both twins need cough assist machines and feeding tubes to remove secretions, which she had to learn to manage within days of their diagnosis.

“That’s the part I really struggle with—I just want to be their mom, not a nurse,” Nelson admitted tearfully. She emphasized the life-changing nature of SMA when detected at birth.

Reflecting on her time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Nelson said she recognized the signs of SMA before knowing what it was. She added, “When I left NICU, I was told, ‘Don’t compare your baby… they’re not going to reach the same milestones, take them as they are,’ because they were premature.”

The twins were born at 31 weeks, and Nelson explained that initially her concern was their basic well-being—temperature checks and breathing—not movement milestones. She added, “If this was the hand I was dealt and nothing could be done, it would be easier to accept. But knowing there is a treatment that is life-changing—that is the part I cannot accept.”

Nelson’s interview came after she announced plans to petition for SMA screening to be added to the standard newborn blood spot test in the U.K., which currently checks for ten rare, sometimes life-threatening, conditions when babies are five days old.

In her Instagram video revealing the diagnosis, Nelson described SMA as “the most severe muscular disease a baby can get,” noting that untreated, life expectancy may be as low as two years. She reflected on the past three months as “the most heartbreaking time” of her life, feeling like she is grieving the life she imagined with her children.

She concluded, “I have to be grateful because they’re still here, and they’ve had treatment. I truly believe my girls will defy the odds, and with the right help, they will fight this.”

Source: https://people.com/jesy-nelson-cries-in-first-interview-since-revealing-baby-twin-daughters-may-never-walk-11880606