Jesy Nelson’s twin daughters suffer fresh health setback after SMA campaign

| Live News reporter Published July 16, 2026 11:11pm Updated July 16, 2026 11:12pm Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has provided an update on her daughters (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire) Jesy Nelson has revealed how her twin daughters have suffered a fresh health setback after her campaign to screen newborn babies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) secured a major breakthrough. The former Little Mix star said she ‘can’t stop crying’ after learning all babies born in England will now be tested for the rare genetic condition at birth. However, Jesy said that the historic change is ‘bittersweet’ as her daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, are ‘not great’. The 25-year-old said her twins’ future is uncertain as medics are still assessing how much of their muscles died off before they were diagnosed late and then treated. Both Ocean and Story were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1, the most severe form of the muscle-wasting disease, after leaving hospital. However, Jesy said that the diagnosis came too late after irreversible nerve damage and it is likely that they will never walk again. Jesy previously called herself ‘the luckiest girl in the world’ to be mum to her daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe (Picture: @jesynelson/Instagram) The singer’s twin daughters were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (Picture: Instagram/jesynelson) Speaking to The Sun, Jesy discussed Ocean and Story’s most recent three-month review at St Ormond Street’s Children’s Hospital where doctors warned that the girls were not responding to the treatment how they had hoped. ‘Unfortunately, some of the numbers have gone down,’ she said. ‘We had a long discussion and there’s a possibility they may have to go back on treatment, which is just heartbreaking. ‘I constantly battle between manifesting they’re going to defy the odds and trying to come to accept that that may not happen. ‘It’s a really weird position to be in because you you think ‘well, if that doesn’t happen, am I just going to feel heartbroken for the rest of my life?’ ‘Then you worry, if I accept it, am I also manifesting that?’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In her new Prime Video show, Jesy Nelson: Life Changing, the singer also broke down in tears over the guilt she carries and worries her children will blame her when they’re older. She told the publication: ‘I know it’s not my fault, but when I watch back videos of when I brought them home and they were kicking their legs, I realise now that over the course of a month, they just stopped. ‘That’s the part where the guilt kicks in because I don’t understand how I didn’t see that. Why didn’t I spot that?’ This comes after Jesy shared heartbreaking footage of the moment she was told about her twins’ devastating diagnosis. The 35-year-old posted footage from her Amazon Prime Video series: ‘Jesy Nelson: Life Changing’, which she ‘urges’ everyone to watch. Deals of the Day Wuka launches the UK’s first period-proof swimwear for heavy flows Bridgerton fans are rushing to buy these new Netflix-inspired perfumes now £12 off The affordable summer wardrobe update you'll wear from rooftop drinks to beach holidays The £7.99 lip balm beauty fans love for glossy, hydrated lips just dropped four new shades This Keskine hydrogel mask could fix your summer skin In the clip, Jesy can be seen rocking one of her babies from side to side while she and her former partner, Zion Foster, receive news that her twins’ ‘genetic test came back positive’ for the life-altering condition. Arrow MORE: Jesy Nelson’s ex Zion Foster speaks out after ‘painful false claims’ about twin daughters Arrow MORE: Jesy Nelson rages at health minister for ‘outrageous’ response to daughter’s campaign