Jesy Nelson says her 8-month-old twins with SMA will 'defy all the odds'

In a report from People, Jesy Nelson said she believes her 8-month-old twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, will "defy all the odds" after being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type 1. On the Feb. 4 episode of Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, the 34-year-old Little Mix singer explained SMA as a muscular wasting disease, saying the babies' muscles are "deteriorating and wasting away" and that without timely treatment the disease can affect breathing and swallowing and lead to death before the age of 2.

Nelson said the twins were born prematurely on May 15, 2025 after she underwent emergency surgery and that she learned of the diagnosis while they were in the hospital’s neonatal unit; she also noted the girls had experienced twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in utero.

Nelson disclosed the diagnosis in an emotional Instagram video on Jan.