Jesy Nelson Reveals Twin Babies May Never Walk Due to Rare Muscular Disease

A Mother’s Heartbreak

Jesy Nelson, the former Little Mix powerhouse, has opened up about the devastating diagnosis shadowing her twin babies. In an emotional interview aired last night, the 32-year-old disclosed that both infants have been diagnosed with a rare muscular disease doctors warn could rob them of the ability to walk.

The First Signs

"They weren’t hitting the usual kicking milestones," Nelson told host Emma Willis, voice cracking. "I kept blaming myself, thinking I wasn’t doing enough tummy-time." Weeks of physiotherapy and blood panels led specialists to a congenital form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA type 2), a genetic condition that attacks motor neurons and causes progressive muscle wasting.

"I’ve spent nights Googling every possible outcome. The hardest sentence I’ve ever heard was: ‘Prepare for wheelchairs, not first steps.’"

— Jesy Nelson

Inside the Diagnosis

SMA affects roughly one in 10,000 births in the UK. While breakthrough gene therapies like Zolgensma have transformed the prognosis for infants treated before six months, Nelson’s twins—born prematurely at 31 weeks—were diagnosed just outside that critical window. Consultant paediatric neurologist Dr. Amara Singh confirmed the next steps:

• Bi-weekly Spinraza injections to slow neuron damage
• Intensive daily physiotherapy to preserve existing muscle tone
• Regular pulmonary function monitoring, since respiratory muscles weaken first

A Family Rallies

Nelson, who left Little Mix in 2020 citing mental-health strains, said motherhood had already reshaped her world view. Now, she’s channeling that same candour into advocacy, launching Walk With Me, a charity fund under the Muscular Dystrophy UK umbrella. "I can’t change their diagnosis," she said, "but I can fight for every child who deserves a chance to stand."

Her former bandmates have flooded social media with support. Perrie Edwards tweeted a purple-heart emoji and the hashtag #TwinPower, while Leigh-Anne Pinnock shared a GoFundMe link that surpassed £250,000 in its first 12 hours.

Hope on the Horizon

Clinical trials for next-generation gene editing are expanding. CRISPR-based therapies, currently in Phase II at Great Ormond Street, could correct the faulty SMN1 gene responsible for SMA. Nelson has enrolled the twins in a natural-history study to accelerate recruitment.

For now, she savours small victories: a finger squeeze, a lifted head, a smile. "If walking isn’t their path, we’ll find another," she said, brushing away tears. "My babies will know they’re never defined by what they can’t do—only by how fiercely they’re loved."