Jesy Nelson has shared another deeply emotional update about her twin daughters, revealing they have now been fitted with leg splints as part of their ongoing health battle.
The former Little Mix star, 34, welcomed daughters Ocean and Story in May with ex-fiancé Zion Foster. But earlier this year, she bravely revealed both babies had been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1) — a rare and severe genetic condition that affects muscle strength and can be life-threatening without treatment.
In a candid Instagram video, Jesy explained that the latest step in their care involves using splints to correct the positioning of their feet. She admitted the moment hit her hard emotionally, saying she had gone to collect the splints because the girls’ feet were pointing and needed to be flattened out, and added honestly that it made her feel really sad.
The singer then showed the tiny splints to her followers — one decorated with hearts for Story, the other with butterflies for Ocean — and tried to find a bittersweet moment of lightness. She asked if anyone had ever seen anything cuter, before quietly admitting that it still made her sad because it was yet another reminder of what her daughters are going through.
Jesy has been remarkably open about the reality of raising two babies with SMA1, documenting every step of their journey online. The condition causes progressive muscle weakness by damaging motor neurons in the spinal cord, and without early treatment, it can severely impact breathing, swallowing, and overall survival.
Despite the devastating prognosis — with untreated cases often not surviving beyond two years — Jesy has chosen to keep sharing her story publicly. She revealed that even after the diagnosis, she made the difficult decision to continue filming her Prime Video series, believing there was a bigger purpose behind their journey.
She explained that although it was incredibly hard, she and her team felt there was a reason her daughters were here and that they had to make the best out of the situation. Jesy added that she hopes people will continue watching, as she believes the series will help raise awareness and ultimately make a difference.
A major focus for Jesy now is campaigning for changes to newborn screening in the UK. She has been vocal about wanting SMA added to the standard heel prick test — a simple screening that could allow earlier diagnosis and treatment. According to Jesy, such a test costs around £1, and earlier intervention could have significantly changed her daughters’ condition.
Speaking previously about the illness, she explained that SMA is a muscle-wasting disease caused by a missing gene, meaning the muscles gradually deteriorate. Without treatment, the condition can lead to failure of vital functions like breathing and swallowing. She acknowledged the reality is not okay, but said she has learned to accept it and is now focused on making the best out of the situation.
Holding onto hope, Jesy said she truly believes her daughters are incredibly strong and resilient, and that they may defy the odds.
Her twins have already faced extraordinary challenges from the very beginning. During pregnancy, they were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a rare and dangerous condition affecting identical twins sharing one placenta. The girls were born prematurely at 31 weeks, adding further complications to their fragile start in life.
