Jesy Nelson voices awareness about raising twins with SMA

Jesy Nelson just opened up about raising twin children.

In a rather sentimental conversation on an episode of the Great Company podcast, former Little Mix star sat down with Jamie Laing to share her experience of being a mother to daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, following their diagnosis with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

The singer, who previously admitted to not feeling maternal, opened up about the profound shift in her life’s purpose.

“I never wanted children, and then the universe gave me twins,” she told Laing.

However, despite the shock of an unplanned pregnancy, Jesy described a sudden sense of happiness: “I felt butterflies... it made me the person I’ve always wanted to be.”

Jesy gave birth at 31 weeks, meaning both her daughters were born premature, leading to a grueling three-month hospital stay.

The Sweet Melody singer spoke candidly about the trauma of the birth, where she was put to sleep for the delivery. “Everything was taken from me. You wake up, they’re not there... they’re in a plastic box and you can’t touch them.”

After moving to Cornwall for a peaceful life, Jesy’s mother noticed the first signs of SMA—a lack of movement in the babies' legs.

Despite being told not to compare premature infants, Jesy eventually realized something was wrong. “They are like rag dolls,” she explained, describing the muscle-wasting nature of the disease.

Hence, Jesy is now using her platform to call for increased awareness and the inclusion of SMA in the newborn "heel prick" test.

While she admits to having "good and bad days" where she just wants to cry, her daughters provide her with strength. “They’ve had to go through so much, and they’re still happy and smiling. What gives me the reason to be sad?”

For the unversed, SMA is a rare genetic condition that weakens muscles and can lead to fatal respiratory failure; where without treatment, many infants do not survive past age two.