Céline Dion’s TRAGIC DIAGNOSIS
A RARE DISEASE LEAVES THE SINGER DEVASTATED
Céline Dion has vowed to sing again, as she faces a life-crippling illness that has already robbed her of her ability to perform, and could one day turn her into a human statue.
The star, 54, has revealed she’s been diagnosed with Stiff-person Syndrome. An incurable neurological disease, it causes muscle rigidity and spasms so strong they can break bones.
“These spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I used to,” Céline explained.
Sufferers can end up wheelchair-bound or bed-ridden, requiring roundthe-clock care.
In an emotional video shared to her Instagram, Céline confirmed she’s unable to perform in 2023 due to her illness, which she says affects one in a million people. It comes after she cancelled her 2022 tour dates earlier this year citing “severe and persistent muscle spasms”.
“People knew Céline was unwell, but no-one had a clue to the extent she was suffering,” a music industry insider tells New Idea exclusively. “It was very shocking news.”
Céline’s loved ones, including sons Renécharles, 21, and twins Eddy and Nelson, 12, are rallying around the Canadian superstar. The shock diagnosis comes after a tragic series of events for the close-knit family
In 1999, her beloved husband, René Angélil, was diagnosed with throat cancer, which he beat for it only to return again in 2013 and 2014. He died in 2016 at the couple’s home in Las Vegas, aged 73.
Just two days later, Céline’s 59-year-old brother Daniel also passed away following a cancer diagnosis.
“She’s really gone through it emotionally,” says a friend. “Now she has this huge physical battle on her hands. It’s one she’s meeting headon, if only for her sons.”
In her Instagram video, Céline said she’s working with a sports medicine therapist every day to build back her strength and regain her ability to perform but admits “it’s been a struggle”.
“All I know is singing is what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most,” the singer added. “[However] I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment, and I have hope that I’m on the road to recovery.”