Jesy Nelson Admits She’s ‘Terrified’ for Her Twin Baby Girls’ Upcoming Operation to Remove Their Nasogastric Tubes

The singer’s 14-month-old daughters were diagnosed with SMA Type 1, a severe condition affecting muscle strength and development

NEED TO KNOW

• Jesy Nelson’s twin daughters, diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, are set to have their NG tubes removed

• Nelson’s 14-month-old girls were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, earlier this yar
• Nelson and ex-fiancé Zion Foster remain focused on co-parenting their daughters after splitting due to the trauma of the diagnosis

Jesy Nelson’s daughters are set to have their nasogastric (NG) tubes removed tomorrow, and the Little Mix alum admits she’s “terrified.”

Nelson, whose 14-month-old twin daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) earlier this year, posted an update on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, Aug. 6. The singer, 35, shared that her daughters would be having their NG tubes removed tomorrow, sharing that it’s an operation she’s a little scared by.

“Today is the last day of my baby girls having there [sic] ng tubes on their faces 🥹 as terrified as I am about them having there [sic] operation tomorrow I cannot wait to finally see their faces again and see their little dimples that are always hidden under these plasters,” she wrote.

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“I’ve honestly forgotten what it feels like to cuddle them and not worry about pulling their tube out of there [sic] nose or plasters of [sic] their face. It really is the littlest things we take for granted as parents.”

There are several types of SMA. They can range from Type 0, the most severe — which is fatal within the first month of life — to Type 4, which generally doesn’t appear until adulthood. About 60% of SMA cases are Type 1, which Nelson’s twins have, Cleveland Clinic explains. Symptoms arise within the first six months, and children with this type are expected to die before turning 2.  

The disease causes muscles to get progressively weaker and atrophy. This eventually causes trouble breathing, and respiratory problems are usually the cause of death.

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Nelson shares her twins with ex-fiancé Zion Foster.

Earlier this summer in July, Nelson shared that the U.K. will begin universal testing for SMA, which is a milestone victory she’d been campaigning for ever since her daughters were diagnosed with the devastating muscular disorder. 

“They’re old enough to understand this moment, and they can understand that their story was part of a huge change,” Nelson shared in a July 16 Instagram post.

In an Instagram video shared on Jan. 4, Nelson tearfully revealed her daughters’ rare diagnosis and recalled being told her girls would most likely be disabled as a result of their condition.

“We were told that they’re probably never gonna be able to walk, they probably will never regain their neck strength so they will be disabled. And so the best thing we can do right now is to get them treatment and then just hope for the best,” she said at the time.

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Nelson and her ex Foster ended their engagement shortly after they learned of their daughters’ diagnosis. In February, the musician explained that the two split after undergoing such a traumatic experience.

“We have been through such a traumatic experience and for us, our girls are our main priority and our main focus,” Nelson told the Daily Mail.

She continued, “We want to give them the most positive, happy and uplifting time and energy and because we have both been through such a traumatic experience, the energy wasn’t right between us, which is understandable.”

“We are still friends and we are still united in co-parenting our daughters, they are our main focus, that’s all we can do, be the best possible parents we can right now.”