Jesy Nelson broke down in tears after her campaign for more health checks on babies reached 100,000 signatures – meaning it must be debated by MPs.
The 34-year-old’s twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, suffer from a rare genetic condition, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), after being born prematurely in May.
On Thursday the Little Mix singer’s petition to see newborns checked for more serious health conditions hit 100,000 – ensuring it will be debated in Parliament.
“I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe. It’s too much,” she said in a video posted to Instagram.
She later wrote: “I cannot actually put into words how grateful I am that this moment has just happened right here. And it is all thanks to you guys.
“Thank you to every single person that took time out of their day to sign this petition. You have no idea how much this means to me and the SMA community.
“This is the first hurdle but we bloody did it, and I truly believe that together we are going to make change.”
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The petition aims to get screening for SMA added to the newborn blood spot screening test, also known as the heel prick test.
The condition causes muscle weakness, movement problems, problems with breathing and swallowing, muscle tremors, and bone and joint problems, according to the NHS.
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When announcing their condition, Nelson said her daughters would probably never walk.
She said earlier this year: “It has caused a lot of commotion and it’s been amazing because the SMA community have been screaming and shouting about this for years, and it’s never been taken seriously.
“I’m just really praying that it does eventually get changed sooner rather than later.”
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She has also met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting last month to speak about the condition.
Her pregnancy struggles have been documented in Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, a six-part documentary series which launched on Friday.
