Home / Health / Jesy Nelson Fights for Newborn Health Checks at Downing Street
Jesy Nelson Fights for Newborn Health Checks at Downing Street
21 Apr
Summary
- Jesy Nelson visited Downing Street to advocate for SMA screening.
- Her twins were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy earlier this year.
- A petition for SMA to be added to baby checks has over 100,000 signatures.
Former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson recently visited 10 Downing Street, advocating for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to be added to routine newborn screening tests. This initiative stems from her personal experience, as her twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson, were diagnosed with the genetic condition earlier this year.
SMA leads to progressive muscle wasting, affecting muscle strength, movement, and vital functions like breathing and swallowing. Nelson is determined to raise awareness and push for the inclusion of SMA in the newborn blood spot screening test, emphasizing that early detection is crucial for managing the condition's devastating impacts.
Her advocacy includes a petition that has garnered over 100,000 signatures. In January, Nelson met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss the potential life-changing effects of early diagnosis. She also became a patron of the charity SMA UK in February. Nelson's own pregnancy was complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition documented in her Prime Video series.
