Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of her stolen car, which contained vital medical equipment needed for the care of her twin daughters.
The 34-year-old musician’s black Land Rover Defender, registration plate JJ73SSY, was stolen from her driveway in Brentwood, Essex, at approximately 3am on Sunday, 19 April 2026. The vehicle was reportedly last seen on camera in nearby Chelmsford around the same time. Essex Police stated they were unable to comment on the reported theft.
In an urgent plea on her Instagram, Nelson wrote: “My car got stolen off my driveway in the early hours of this morning, if anyone sees a black Defender reg plate JJ73SSY. Please, if any of you have seen or know of any information can you DM me or contact the police. I have so much of my girls’ hospital equipment in that car that’s really needed.”
The Critical Nature of the Stolen Equipment
The stolen vehicle contained essential hospital equipment for Nelson’s 11-month-old twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster. The girls were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 in January 2026. SMA Type 1 is the most severe and common form of the rare genetic neuromuscular disorder, causing progressive muscle wastage, weakness, loss of movement, and paralysis.
The equipment is crucial for their daily care, a reality that has made the hospital “a second home” for Nelson. The twins, born prematurely at 31 weeks and five days in May 2025 after a high-risk pregnancy complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, require ongoing medical support, including leg splints. Nelson has previously spoken about the devastating prognosis, stating: “We were told that they’re probably never going to be able to walk; they probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled.”
According to the NHS, in the UK about 70 children are born with SMA each year, and without treatment fewer than one in 10 (8%) will survive to the age of two. The twins have received life-saving treatment, which Nelson is profoundly grateful for, having said: “Thankfully, the girls have had their treatment, which you know, I’m so grateful for because if they don’t have it, they will die.”
From Diagnosis to Advocacy
Since her daughters’ diagnosis, Jesy Nelson has become a prominent campaigner for early detection of SMA. She has been a vocal advocate for including SMA screening in the newborn blood spot test (the heel-prick test) given to all babies from birth.
Her petition calling for this change amassed over 100,000 signatures, triggering a parliamentary debate, which she described as significant progress. In January 2026, she met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss the impact of early detection. Following this advocacy, the rollout of newborn screening for SMA in the UK was brought forward and is now set to begin in October 2026 instead of January 2027.
“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,” Nelson has said. In February 2026, she became a patron of the charity SMA UK.
The singer shares her twin daughters with her former fiancé, Zion Foster. The couple had previously split and reconciled before ultimately ending their relationship, with Nelson speaking about the challenges of co-parenting. She is currently filming a spin-off of her Amazon Prime series focusing on her daughters’ diagnosis and treatment, which is also expected to document the breakdown of that relationship.
Despite the immense challenges, Nelson has expressed hope, stating her girls are “happy and they’re doing really well” and that she hopes they will “defy all the odds.” The stolen Land Rover Defender, valued at an estimated £100,000, remains missing, with its recovery critical for the ongoing care of her children.
