Jesy Nelson visits 10 Downing Street amid SMA campaign

Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has visited 10 Downing Street as part of her campaign for SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) to be added to post-birth baby checks for serious health conditions.

The 34-year-old announced earlier this year that her twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson, were diagnosed with the genetic condition which causes progressive muscle wastage.

The singer has since dedicated herself to raising awareness of SMA and urged the Government to add the condition to the newborn blood spot screening test, as early treatment can help avoid some of its most devastating effects.

Nelson shared a carousel of photos outside Downing Street to Instagram on Tuesday, including a series of selfies outside the Prime Ministers’ residence.

Beneath the post, which was flooded with supportive comments from fans, Nelson wrote: “When life throws you lemons…”

The star issued an appeal for help at the weekend after her car was “stolen”, along with hospital equipment used to treat her twin daughters.

Nelson revealed her daughters’ diagnosis in January and said it meant they are unlikely to be able to walk or regain their neck strength.

She has since been campaigning for SMA to be added to post-birth baby checks and launched a petition which has amassed more than 100,000 signatures.

Nelson met Health Secretary Wes Streeting in January to speak about the life-changing impact early detection of the condition could have had on her twins, and became a patron of charity SMA UK in February.

SMA causes muscle weakness, movement problems, issues with breathing and swallowing, muscle tremors, and bone and joint problems, according to the NHS.

Nelson also experienced a series of complications during her pregnancy, including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which the NHS says is caused by abnormal connecting blood vessels in the placenta which leads to an imbalanced blood flow from one twin to the other.

Her pregnancy struggles have been documented in Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, a six-part Prime Video documentary series.