Health Secretary Wes Streeting has personally thanked Jesy Nelson and the Mirror for 'shining a light' on the devastating condition the pop star's twin girls have.

The pop star Jesy Nelsonhas described how her twin babies gradually lost the use of their legs in the first few weeks of life before they were belatedly diagnosed and treated - and a quick, cheap test could have made all the difference. The former Little Mix singer’s daughters, Ocean and Story, have type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, a devastating muscle wasting disease.

The Mirror is calling for all newborns to be tested for the condition, having first raised the issue five years ago. Mr Streeting said: "I want to thank Jesy and the Mirror for shining a light on this horrendous condition and what can be done to pick it up."

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Gene therapy could have stopped the ­condition in its tracks – but only if it had been diagnosed straight away. The girls are now eight months old and Jesy and her fiance – musician Zion Foster – have been told they may never walk.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting added: "Jesy’s courage in speaking out about an unimaginably frightening situation is truly admirable, not least because there are other parents out there going through similar experiences. She has challenged us to go further on screening, and she’s absolutely right to do so. We’re determined to do more for people affected by this disease.

“The UK National Screening Committee has recommended a large-scale study into newborn screening for SMA, and a call for research is now live. As part of a trial in the NHS, hundreds of thousands of babies will be screened for SMA.

“There are now more treatments available for spinal muscular atrophy than ever before, and we are seeing children with SMA now not just living and surviving but thriving.”

Unlike most developed nations, Britain does not routinely test babies for SMA. The Mirror is calling for that to change, with a “Jesy test” that costs just £5 a time.

Jesy added: “If these were the cards I was going to be dealt and there was nothing I could do, then it’s almost easier to accept. But when you know there is something that could be done and it is life-changing for your child, that’s the part I cannot accept.”

Jesy, from Romford, East London, rose to fame winning the X Factor in 2011 with Little Mix. After five UK number ones, she left in December 2020 and has since released two songs as a solo artist: Boyz, with US rapper Nicki Minaj in 2021, and Bad Thing in 2023.

She had Ocean and Story ­prematurely at 31 weeks in May with Zion, 27, at her bedside.