Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson and her partner, musician Zion Foster, have opened up about a devastating health diagnosis concerning their twin daughters, revealing the infants have a severe muscular disease.
A Heartbreaking Health Update for the Twins
The 34-year-old pop icon, who gave birth prematurely to twin girls in May 2025 after a difficult pregnancy spent largely in hospital, shared the emotional news last week. Her daughters, named Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, have been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
Through tears, Jesy described SMA as the "most severe muscular disease" and revealed the heartbreaking prognosis that her children "may never walk." Just hours later, Zion posted a photo of the twins in a stroller with feeding tubes, captioning it: "Still smiling through all the challenges. Daddy loves you so much."
A Rollercoaster Relationship Forged in Music
Jesy and Zion's relationship, which began in late 2022, has weathered multiple storms. The couple, who reportedly met through friends years prior, have split and reconciled several times. Despite the turbulence, they announced their engagement in September 2024 with a romantic beach sunset photo, which Jesy captioned: "Just got engaged to my best friend."
Both are musical artists. While Jesy found fame on The X Factor, Zion built a fanbase on SoundCloud as a producer and artist, earning 250,000 streams for his 2015 song "Get This Girl." He now has over 429,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. In 2024, the couple collaborated on the R&B track "Mine."
Jesy has publicly praised Zion for his unwavering support, especially during her high-risk pregnancy. When he ran the London Marathon last year with under four weeks of training to raise money for the Twins Trust charity, she wrote a glowing tribute on Instagram, calling him "the most amazing human and daddy."
A Challenging Journey to Parenthood
The couple's path to welcoming their twins was fraught with difficulty. They announced the pregnancy in January 2025, shocking fans with the news they were expecting twins. In March 2025, they revealed a diagnosis of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition they tearfully said meant their babies "could die."
Jesy underwent emergency surgery, which was successful, and the TTTS cleared up. However, she remained hospitalised for monitoring until the twins arrived at 31 weeks and five days in May 2025. The newborns spent time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which Jesy described as a "scary overwhelming feeling" for a parent unable to fully comfort their children.
The couple's relationship has faced public scrutiny, with splits in August 2023 and again in September 2024, where Zion confirmed a breakup on social media. Sources cited their age difference and being in "different headspaces" as reasons. However, they have consistently found their way back to each other, a bond now strengthened and tested by their daughters' health battle.
Symptoms of Spinal Muscular Atrophy can vary but often include:
- Muscle weakness and tremors
- Bone and joint problems like scoliosis
- Severe movement difficulties
- Problems with breathing and swallowing
As Jesy Nelson and Zion Foster face this immense challenge, their focus remains on their twin daughters, navigating parenthood under the most trying of circumstances.
