Jesy Nelson has detailed why she and fiancé Zion Foster decided to call it quits on their relationship just four months after getting engaged.
The former Little Mix star, 34, shared that her four-year relationship with Mr Foster had ended last month.
The sad news came just weeks after the couple announced the devastating news that their newborn twin daughters had been diagnosed with SMA Type 1, which causes progressive muscle weakness and breathing issues.
The pair had also faced a tough pregnancy, with Ms Nelson informed her unborn twins had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).
To their relief, the twins were born healthy but the couple’s joy was short-lived following their daughters’ diagnosis with SMA.
Opening up about their split, Ms Nelson cited the stress of the last few months as a big factor.
She reflected: “We have been through such a traumatic experience and for us, our girls are our main priority and our main focus.
“We want to give them the most positive, happy and uplifting time and energy and because we have both been through such a traumatic experience, the energy wasn’t right between us, which is understandable.”
Jesy Nelson and Zion Foster confirmed they had ended their relationship last month
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Speaking to MailOnline, she continued: “We are still friends and we are still united in co-parenting our daughters, they are our main focus, that’s all we can do, be the best possible parents we can right now.’
Six months after her twins’ birth, the singer took to social media to share how she’d discovered her baby daughters’ condition.
Sharing a video on Instagram, she explained: “The girls have been diagnosed with a severe disease called SMA type one.
“It stands for Spinal Muscular Atrophy which affects every muscle in the body, from legs, arms, swallowing.”
Jesy Nelson detailed why she and Zion have split up
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Ms Nelson explained that the first concerns arose when her mother noticed the twins were not moving their legs as much as expected several months ago.
“It wasn’t really a concern to me at the time,” she said. “From the minute I left NICU I was told, ‘Your babies are premature so don’t compare your babies to other babies. They won’t reach the same milestones, take them as they are.'”
As a first-time mother, Ms Nelson said she did not initially find the situation alarming, particularly as health visitors repeatedly reassured her that the girls were healthy.
Further warning signs emerged when the twins began experiencing feeding difficulties.
Singer Jesy Nelson is raising awareness of SMA following her twins’ diagnosis
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Despite raising concerns with her GP, Ms Nelson said she was advised to feed them “little and often” and told there was no cause for concern.
After three to four months of repeated appointments and mounting anxiety, the family were referred for further tests and the twins were assessed at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
“When they assessed the girls at Great Ormond Street, we were told they were never going to be able to walk,” Ms Nelson revealed.
“They would probably never regain their neck strength. They will be disabled.”