Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has said she feels she has a "duty of care" to raise awareness about the rare genetic condition her twins have been diagnosed with.
The 34-year-old singer, who gave birth to twins Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster prematurely in May with fiance Zion Foster, announced in a post on Sunday that the pair are unlikely to ever be able to walk after being diagnosed with SMA1 (spinal muscular atrophy).
She is now campaigning for for SMA1 screening at birth and has started a petition to get the condition added to the newborn blood spot screening test, also known as the heel prick test.
Speaking on ITV's This Morning, the singer, who has 9.7 million followers, said: "I almost feel like I’ve got a duty of care to raise awareness about it.
"A little part of me feels, I don’t know if this is even crazy to say this, it feels selfish to keep this to myself and not potentially save a child’s life.
"When you know that there is something that can be done about it and it is life changing to your child, that’s the part that I cannot accept, and that is why I’m going to shout to the rooftops about this."
Nelson rose to fame after winning The X Factor in 2011 with Little Mix alongside Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall.
Nelson left in December 2020 after nearly a decade together, with chart-topping singles including their winning song Cannonball, Shout Out To My Ex and Wings.
She has released two songs as a solo artist: Boyz, which featured US rapper Nicki Minaj, in 2021 and Bad Thing in 2023.
Source: Press Association
