Jesy Nelson shared a tearful video on Instagram as she revealed that her daughters have been diagnosed with a ‘severe’ genetic condition called SMA type 1.
The Little Mix star welcomed twins Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster in May 2025.
It hasn’t been an easy run for the singer on her journey to parenthood. While she was pregnant, the 34-year-old was diagnosed with something called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and had to undergo surgery.
TTTS is ‘rare disorder that affects identical twin pregnancies’ and happens when two babies share a placenta in the womb. It causes uneven blood flow between the two babies and puts the twins at risk for early delivery, neurological damage, heart damage and can even be fatal.
Fortunately, both Ocean and Story went on to be okay, however, they were born prematurely and spent around four weeks in the NICU.
Little Mix star Jesy Nelson gave birth to twins in May 2025 (jesynelson/Instagram)
But the young family is now facing yet more health hardships in the wake of the twins being diagnosed type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
What is SMA type 1?
SMA is a genetic condition that causes worsening muscle weakness, Cleveland Clinic explains.
In a lengthy video shared to Instagram, Nelson said that her mom had noticed that the girls weren’t moving their legs very much. This sparked a series of hospital appointments and tests which lead to the Little Mix alum being told her daughters have SMA.
“After the most gruelling three to four months and endless appointments, the girls have been diagnosed with a severe disease called SMA type one,” she shared.
“It stands for Spinal Muscle Atrophy which affects every muscle in the body from legs, arms, swallowing.”
Nelson continued: “Over time, it kills the muscles in the body. If it’s not treated in time, your baby’s life expectancy will not make it past the age of two.
“Once the girls got treated, it was a very rapid process. Time is of the essence with this disease.
“When they assessed the girls at Great Ormond Street, we were told they were never going to be able to walk. They would probably never regain their next strength. They will be disabled. The best thing we can do right now is to get them treatment and hope for the best.”
There are five different types of SMA, and Nelson’s girls have type 1.
According to Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of this particular SMA will rise within the first six months of life and include limited head control and decreased muscle tone.
The website continues: “Infants with type 1 SMA also have difficulty swallowing and breathing. Without breathing support, children with type 1 SMA die before their second birthday.”
Other symptoms of type 1 SMA include:
- lack of reflexes
- inability to sit without support
- abnormal breathing pattern
- a bell-shaped chest
- facial muscle weakness
The singer gave a heartbreaking update on the health of her daughters (jesynelson/Instagram)
The girls have since had their treatment, and Nelson said the hospital has become her ‘second home’.
The singer went on to describe the last few months as ‘the most heartbreaking time of my life’.
Nelson concluded the heartbreaking video: “I truly believe that my girls will defy all the orders and with the right help they will fight this.”
Featured Image Credit: jesynelson/Instagram
Niamh Shackleton
Evangeline Lilly reveals extent of brain damage after suffering traumatic brain injury in May
The actress suffered the injury after blacking out at the beach in May 2025
Evangeline Lilly has opened up about suffering brain damage that has affected ‘almost every part of her brain’ following a traumatic brain injury in May 2025.
The Antman actress suffered a severe concussion last year after falling head first into a boulder, yet in a new health update issued on January 2, she revealed that it had left her with some significant lasting damage.
In a video shared to Instagram, the Lost star, 46, told her followers that she had some ‘bad news’ about her recovery, as she lifted the lid on her healing journey so far.
“I’m entering into this new year, the Year of the Horse, with some bad news about my concussion,” the Marvel star said in the video. “A lot of you asked how I’m doing. A lot of you have inquired about the brain scans that you heard I got. And the results came back from the scans.”
The actress, who revealed she was stepped back from acting shortly after the incident, revealed that the scan results had the shown that ‘almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity.’
“So I do have brain damage from the TBI,” Lilly said, “and possibly other factors going on.”
Breaking down what this discovery means for her going forwards, she continued: “But now my job is to get to the bottom of that with doctors and then embark on the hard work of fixing it, which I don’t look forward to because I feel like hard work is all I do.
“But that’s okay. My cognitive decline since I smashed my face open has helped me to slow down and helped me to have a more restful finish to my 2025.”
While many may consider the news to be less than ideal, Lilly insisted that she felt ‘extraordinarily grateful’ and ‘blessed’ – particularly as it meant the symptoms she had been experiencing weren’t linked to perimenopause as she had initially feared.
She also went on to caption her video: “Verdict’s in…I do have brain damage from my tbi. Comforting to know my cognitive decline isn’t just perimenopause, discomforting to know what an uphill battle it will be to try to reverse the deficiencies. Thank you all for always asking, for always caring, and for your continued prayers.”
Lilly suffered her head injury at the start of summer 2025 when she fainted while enjoying a day out at the beach.
Evangeline Lilly suffered the injury after blacking out at the beach in May 2025 (evangelinelillyofficial/instagram)
Falling face first into a boulder, she knocked out a tooth, bloodied her nose and suffered a significant blow to the head – yet even despite this, she joked at the time it was just the ‘reset’ she had needed.
“It might seem crazy looking at my face and my busted tooth, but I feel so grateful that I blacked out,” she wrote at the time. “I needed the reset.”
While the cause of the blackout has never been publicly revealed, Lilly did previously disclose that she had frequently suffered them as a child, when she spoke about the incident in a Substack post.
“I have had “absent” and fainting spells since I was a little girl. The doctors checked me for epilepsy when I was young and then settled on the idea of hypoglycemia (without doing any testing),” she wrote.
“For a good chunk of my life, I went with that – hypoglycemia. It added up – my metabolism is through the roof and I metabolize sugars, particularly, with shocking efficiency.
“But, as I got older, and other health issues started to enter the picture, my doctor started doing a LOT of blood work. What was interesting was how, even after a 12-hour fast, even after blacking out, my glucose levels never came back as low. Hypoglycemia, it seemed, was being ruled out.”
The former Lost actress revealed what she thinks is behind the blackouts she has suffered her whole life (Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
“So…what was making me become so cognitively checked out that the doctors thought I might have epilepsy as a child? What was causing me to faint periodically throughout my adult life? What was MY wry smile all about?
“I have come to believe that this ‘checking out’ is a result of my little soul reaching her limit of what she feels she can cope with in this life, and she ‘leaves the building’, so to speak. Or ‘leaves the meat suit’ might be a better way of putting it.”
A further flurry of tests followed, including after her blackout in 2025, but medics were unable to determine a cause.
Featured Image Credit: George Pimentel/Getty Images
