Nelson's black Defender with registration plate JJ73SSY was taken from her Brentwood driveway in the early hours of the morning. The vehicle was last tracked by a camera in the Chelmsford area. The singer posted on social media offering a reward for information about the stolen car, which contained hospital equipment needed for her daughters' care. The specific hospital equipment in the stolen car and how critical it is for the twins' care has not been disclosed.
Nelson's twin daughters Ocean and Story, who are 11 months old, were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 in January. SMA1 is a rare muscle-wasting condition that weakens muscles by affecting motor nerve cells in the spinal cord. Type 1 SMA is the most common and severe form, with life expectancy estimated at less than two years without medical intervention. A late diagnosis of SMA1 meant Nelson's twins are unable to ever walk.
The singer has been campaigning for the NHS to introduce newborn testing for SMA1. Last week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced plans for more than 400,000 babies to be screened for SMA1 from October 2026. However, only certain areas in England will carry out SMA1 tests on newborns from that date. The specific areas in England that will conduct SMA1 newborn testing from October 2026 have not been specified.
The UK's National Screening Committee rejected calls to introduce checks for another muscular disease in January. Nelson said the situation creates a postcode lottery for babies' health, adding that while progress has been made, there is still a long way to go for nationwide implementation. Nelson said she is proud of how far the campaign has come and vowed to continue pushing for nationwide implementation.
A petition for SMA1 testing signed by 100,000 people is now going to be debated in parliament. Nelson acknowledged this development and expressed gratitude to supporters for their help in reaching this milestone.