Jesy Nelson’s fiancé Zion Foster shares moving poem to his 'warrior' baby daughters after their SMA diagnosis
Jesy Nelson’s fiancé Zion Foster has shared a moving poem about his twin baby daughters after it was revealed they have a rare genetic disease.
Former Little Mix star Jesy revealed her baby girls, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, have the spinal muscular atrophy earlier this month.
Since then, the 34-year-old singer has spoken out about the diagnosis on ITV’s This Morning, in an interview where she said she wanted to use her fame to raise awareness about the condition.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a serious genetic health issue. According to the NHS, typical symptoms include floppy or weak arms and legs, shaking muscles, and swallowing and breathing difficulties.
Now Zion, aged 27, has shared a poem about his “warrior” little girls, who turn eight-months-old today.
Sharing a video of him reading the poem aloud to his Instagram Stories, he said: “They said it’s unlikely you’ll walk, you may not be able to talk, probably won’t be able to hold your head up, that’s what me and Jesy heard – SMA Type 1.
“And it became so clear, doctors only go near what they can measure, so what’s certain?
“I watch your smiles like sunsets, not promised, but real. I listen to you babble the sweetest melodies, in the moment it makes me wonder, if I keep telling you who I want you to be, what I want you to do, what I expect from you, am I loving you, or am I loving my fear?
“If I take you for how God knitted you, just as you are, nothing removed, am I loving you? Am I accepting you?”
Speaking directly to his daughters, the first-time dad continued: “Story, is your heart okay? Ocean, how’s your mind? I hear strength in your lungs every time you cry, two little warrior girls who already know how to fight.
“Honestly, my worry isn’t the milestones, isn’t forcing life to live a different way. My worry is quieter than that, deeper. It’s about accepting you, loving you for who you are right now, without conditions.
“No matter what tomorrow brings, and no matter what yesterday was.”
Jesy and Zion welcomed their twin girls on May 15 last year after a difficult pregnancy. Jesy had experienced a series of complications during her pregnancy, including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which she posted about candidly on social media. She spent 10 weeks in hospital due to the complications, before her baby girls were born prematurely at 31 weeks.
When Jesy revealed the girls’ SMA diagnosis on her Instagram video, she said doctors have warned her the sisters will never walk. Referring to SMA, she said: “Over time it kills the muscles in the body. If it’s not treated in time, your babies life expectancy will not make it past the age of two.
She went on: “When they assessed the girls at Great Ormond Street, we were told they were never going to be able to walk. They would probably never regain their neck strength. They will be disabled.”
She added that she feels like she has become a “nurse” for her children and has “had to do stuff no mother should have to do to their child”.