Jesy Nelson is today launching a petition with Parliament demanding all babies are checked for spinal muscular atrophy as she backs the Mirror campaign.

The former Little Mix singer’s twins have the devastating muscle wasting disease and have been told they will never walk - but a £5 blood test at birth would have prevented this. Jesy, 34, is today joining forces with the Mirror and charity SMA UK to demand a blood test for SMA to be added to the NHS heel prick test given to all newborns.

She said: “I’m really proud to be working alongside the Mirror and SMA UK on this campaign and launching this petition. This is something that means a lot to me personally, and I’m passionate about using my platform to raise awareness, support families affected, and help drive real change. Partnering with organisations who care so deeply about this makes it even more special to be part of.”

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Three treatments currently available on the NHS can either correct the faulty gene or provide a replacement for the key protein so that muscles do not die off. They are effectively a cure - but only if administered at birth before irreversible muscle damage.

Jesy has spoken publicly about how her girls were diagnosed with the condition only at six months, despite repeated visits to the GP and healthcare visitors checking in on them.

Current plans for an NHS pilot would see one third of newborns in England - around 163,000 a year - not be tested so they can act as the “control group” to compare outcomes with to see how effective newborn screening for SMA is - a decision experts have branded “unethical”.

Jesy gave birth to twins Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster prematurely in May with fiance Zion Foster, and Nelson has been posting about their journey on Instagram to raise awareness of the rare genetic condition ever since.

Jesy posted: "As you all know, I've been working hard to campaign for SMA to be added to the newborn screening heel-prick test here in the UK. I'm so happy and proud to finally share that my petition is now live. Any support, shares or signatures would mean the world to me and to so many other families."

Babies not diagnosed and treated soon after birth can need a wheelchair and sometimes a machine to help them breath and feeding via a tube directly into their stomach. Previously, without treatment, those with the more severe Type 1 form would often not survive until their second birthday.

As the petition has been launched on the Parliament website the Government is required to respond to it if it reaches 10,000 signatures. Parliament required to debate the issue if it hits 100,000 signatures.

Giles Lomax, chief executive of SMA UK, said: “SMA UK are delighted to be working with the Jesy and Mirror to launch this petition demanding for the government to fast track SMA to be included on the newborn heel prick test.

“The evidence is clear: babies who are diagnosed and treated before symptoms appear have significantly better health outcomes. Many can meet developmental milestones that would not have been possible without early intervention.

“Screening allows SMA to be identified in the first weeks of life, often before any signs are visible, giving families and clinicians the opportunity to act quickly, start treatment early, and give babies the best possible chance to thrive.”

The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) first decided not to add SMA to the newborn screening programme in 2018 but since 2019 three major treatments have been made available on the NHS which can virtually eradicate the condition.

The plan for an NHS pilot means full screening rollout is unlikely before 2031 on the current schedule. However NHS Scotland has just decided to go ahead with newborn screening for SMA and will add it to their routine heel prick test from the spring. Babies in Wales and Northern Ireland will not be screened under the current plan. Experts insist there is enough evidence internationally to justify immediately rolling out SMA screening for all newborns. The US and most of Europe already screen for SMA.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised to ask the committee whether it would be feasible to expand the pilot so that all babies are screened for the condition. When interviewed by the Mirror earlier this month Mr Streeting said: “We are actively looking at this but it’s not straight forward.”

When asked what the argument was against screening all babies, he replied: “As ever, with any decisions about screening programmes, we will always follow the evidence, and we always follow the recommendations. Clearly action is planned in this area which is why we have the screening pilot in the pipeline, but I’m challenging the team to see if we can go further.”

SMA UK have set up a text line for people to help support families affected by SMA. Text JESY5 to 70470 to donate £5 to SMA UK.