Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), the condition that singer Jesy Nelson is battling, was discovered in Victoria and Darren Burgess at the age of 16 weeks.
A mum who was given the option to terminate her pregnancy after being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition – one that Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson is also battling – is celebrating one year with her healthy twin boys.
Singer Jesy is currently recovering from an operation to prevent complications from her high-risk pregnancy. Victoria, 35, and Darren, 33, both of whom are intimately familiar with her struggles, were overjoyed when they first learned what they were going to do.
However, when a 16-week scan revealed something concerning, one twin had no visible kidneys or bladder, and the other had excessive fluid in their sac, their excitement quickly turned to worry.
READ MORE: Jesy Nelson’s boyfriend Zion shares charity promise during their positive pregnancy update
After being diagnosed with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) – a rare but life-threatening condition that affects around 10 to 15 percent of identical twins who share a placenta – Victoria and Darren wished they had been given more information about the condition by doctors at the time.
Victoria found comfort in reading other families’ stories of TTTS-related experiences after visiting the Twins Trust website for support and information. She admitted, “I hadn’t heard of TTTS at that time.” The Twins Trust website was extremely helpful because, in my opinion, reading about other people’s experiences made things very difficult.
The couple from Bristol had three options: having their pregnancy terminated, having their pregnancy terminated, or having their relationship terminated. Darren said, “Having a termination was never in our heads.”
Victoria underwent laser surgery to save her babies a week after the diagnosis. They were concerned about one of the twins, she said, and we were aware that it could escalate quickly. The other twin’s sac was expanding exponentially.
Although the procedure was successful, Victoria endured weeks of complications, including fluid loss and numerous hospital stays. Further bleeding at 33 weeks gave the twins a sense of direction.
Born via C-section in September 2023, Ezra and Arlo entered the world at 34 weeks and one day, in a theatre packed with 26 medical staff. In a dramatic twist, a student trainee fainted during the birth.
The twins are now flourishing despite spending weeks in the NICU and intensive care. Victoria, who praised the staff at Taunton’s Musgrove Hospital, said she is determined to stay positive about having twins.
She said, “I don’t let the fact that I have twins prevent me from doing anything, but I enjoy taking the boys to clubs.” Reflecting on the TTTS, I believe open dialogue is crucial. I tried to educate myself about the syndrome because I had never heard of it before. The hospital staff gave us time, but I never felt pressured into making any decisions.
Darren counseled other parents who are dealing with similar diagnoses to remain open-minded and optimistic. He said, “We just kept on hoping.” We maintained that hope, leading to positive outcomes.
The couple is now concentrating on raising awareness of TTTS to help other families as they prepare for their journey. They also completed the Twins Trust antenatal course to help with preparation.
We just want to say thanks to Twins Trust, Victoria said, for supporting us when we needed it most. It was a very lonely and upsetting time.
Zion Foster, Jesy Nelson’s partner, will also be running the London Marathon in May to raise money for Twins Trust. The singer, 33, from Romford, claimed that her “pre-stage” twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), which affects identical twins who share a placenta, has “cleared up.”
“Hey guys, so we just wanted to give you guys an update, because we know it’s been a while,” Jesy said in an Instagram video. “I don’t know if you can see, we are still in hospital, so I’ve been recovering, but we have some amazing news.
The operation was a success, which is just incredible, and the TTTS has cleared up. The most amazing doctors make us so, so lucky. My cervix is very, very short, so I can’t leave the hospital because my waters could break at any point and I’m still very, very early.
Every week we’re just like, “Please, please, please, stay in there,” so I can’t leave the hospital until I’m a certain number of weeks.
She continued, “so grateful” that her twins “are still going strong,” adding that she and her partner Zion are “so grateful.”
Visit www. for support and more details. twinstrust . . org
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