Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson and her musician fiancé, Zion Foster, have shared a devastating health update concerning their eight-month-old twin daughters, revealing a diagnosis of a rare and severe genetic condition.
A Joyful Beginning Turns to Heartache
The couple, who welcomed their twin girls Ocean Jade and Story Monroe in May 2025, were initially overjoyed after a challenging pregnancy. However, their world was turned upside down at the start of January 2026 when they received the crushing news that both babies had been diagnosed with Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
This form of the muscle-wasting disease is the most severe, affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord. It is exceptionally rare, with only around 50 children in the UK born with it each year. The prognosis is heartbreaking, as it is likely the twins will never be able to walk, talk, or hold up their heads independently.
Zion Foster's Poignant 'Letter' to His 'Warrior' Daughters
In a deeply moving tribute shared on social media, 27-year-old Zion Foster penned a heartfelt poem directed at his infant daughters. He reflected on the moment he and Jesy, 34, received the diagnosis, writing of the doctors' stark predictions.
"I watch your smiles like sunsets, not promised, but real," he wrote, capturing the fragility and beauty of the moment. Foster questioned the nature of parental love in the face of such a diagnosis, asking, "if I keep telling you who I want you to be... am I loving you, or am I loving my fear?"
He praised their innate strength, stating, "I hear strength in your lungs every time you cry, two little warrior girls who already know how to fight." His primary worry, he revealed, was not about missed milestones but about learning to love and accept his daughters completely for who they are in the present moment.
Jesy Nelson's Emotional Struggle and Hopeful Outlook
Speaking through tears on ITV's This Morning last week, Jesy Nelson opened up about the immense challenges they now face. "I just want to be their mum. I don't want to be a nurse. It's hard," she confessed to hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley.
She explained that the twins have already received a crucial one-off gene therapy infusion, a treatment that aims to halt the progression of the disease by replacing the missing SMN1 gene. "It stops the muscles still working from dying. Any that have gone, you can't regain them back," she clarified.
The family's focus is now on an intensive regime of constant physiotherapy. Their London home has been transformed, with Jesy admitting, "My whole hallway is filled with medical stuff. It's crazy how you can go from one extreme to the next."
Despite the overwhelming circumstances, both parents are clinging to hope. The twins attend Great Ormond Street Hospital twice weekly for treatment. Jesy finds solace in their resilience and bond, saying, "They're still smiling, they're still happy and have each other. That's the main thing I'm so grateful for." She added that she is trying to "manifest" the best possible future for her daughters.
The family's public sharing of their story has shone a light on the realities of living with SMA, a condition that progressively robs individuals of physical strength, ultimately affecting the ability to walk, eat, and breathe.
