Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has posted a heartwarming video of her daughter Story Monroe, calling the adorable infant her "little ballerina" as she continues to document her twin girls' journey following their Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 diagnosis.
Emotional Family Moment Captured on Video
The touching clip shows Nelson gently encouraging her baby girl to say "Mumma" while lovingly stroking her head. In the background, the proud mother can be heard saying: "Story, say Mumma. Can you say Mumma?" Her beautiful daughter looks up at her mother with affection. Nelson captioned the video: "Yeah not happening!" with a laughing emoji.
Documenting the Twins' Progress
This comes after the 34-year-old singer revealed that her twin daughters, Story Monroe and Ocean Jade, were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1, a progressive genetic condition that affects muscle strength and movement. Nelson has been keeping her followers regularly updated about how both girls are progressing.
Last week, she shared another sweet video showing her daughters practicing what she calls their "ballerina" leg exercises, designed to help maintain movement in their limbs. In that clip, she could be heard encouraging one of her babies: "Are you gonna show them how you move your legs? You're a little ballerina, come on. Good girl. Little ballerina, yes you are!"
Understanding Spinal Muscular Atrophy
According to NHS information, Spinal Muscular Atrophy can significantly affect a child's ability to:
- Sit up independently
- Crawl or walk normally
- Breathe and swallow without difficulty
The condition occurs in approximately one in every 10,000 births, with Type 1 accounting for about 60 percent of all cases. Without proper breathing support, children diagnosed with Type 1 SMA may not survive beyond their second birthday, though medical advances have improved survival rates in recent years.
Medical Treatment and Daily Challenges
Nelson's twins have received a one-time gene therapy infusion treatment designed to preserve functioning muscles. Due to the rarity and severity of their condition, the girls require:
- Regular physiotherapy sessions
- Frequent visits to Great Ormond Street Hospital
- Ongoing medical monitoring
While medical professionals have informed Nelson that her daughters may never walk independently, she maintains a positive outlook about their future. Speaking to the Western Mail newspaper, she described her twins as doing "so well" despite their challenges.
Campaigning for Earlier Diagnosis
Jesy Nelson has become a vocal campaigner for the NHS to implement heel-prick testing for newborns, which would allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She has been documenting her daughters' journey partly to raise awareness about the importance of early detection.
"There isn't a cure for SMA, so having this infusion is essentially what's going to determine how their future looks in terms of what they can do," Nelson explained. "With SMA, it's a day-to-day process. You can't really look too far ahead because you'll just drive yourself mad. It's a lot, and bless them, they're so tiny and going through so much, but my God, I've never met stronger girls in my life."
Support from Former Bandmates
Meanwhile, Nelson's former Little Mix bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock has spoken publicly about the situation during an interview with Australian radio DJ Smallzy. When asked about Nelson's recent documentary, Life After Little Mix, and the support offered by her former group members, Pinnock described the situation as "heartbreaking, just awful."
"We all obviously did reach out to her, it's the worst thing ever," Pinnock stated. "I think she's really incredible for spreading the awareness."
When questioned about whether the former bandmates maintain their "sisterhood" since the group's separation, Pinnock responded: "I think that's the special thing about us, we will always be there if we need each other for sure. I think, especially for me, Jade and Perrie, we're super, super close and I think you need that in this industry too."
Pinnock added: "There's just so much toxicity that can come with it and there's just so much pressure as well so knowing that you can just reach out to people that are going through it too, we're the only ones that know exactly what this experience is like. It's so needed."
