In a deeply moving episode of the Great Company podcast, former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson sat down with Jamie Laing to share the emotional reality of raising her twin 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. Despite the shock of an unplanned pregnancy, Jesy described a sudden sense of delight: “I felt butterflies... it made me the person I’ve always wanted to be.”
A Traumatic Start
The twins arrived prematurely at 31 weeks, leading to a grueling three-month hospital stay. Jesy 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.
The Fight for Awareness
SMA is a rare genetic condition that weakens muscles and can lead to fatal respiratory failure; Jesy noted that without treatment, many infants do not survive past age two. Following a 95% certain diagnosis via a Zoom call, the family was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital to begin the urgent fight for treatment.
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 superhuman strength. “They’ve had to go through so much, and they’re still happy and smiling. What gives me the reason to be sad?”
