Celine Dion reveals rare neurological disease diagnosis; cancels tour dates
Posted Dec 8, 2022 5:58 am.
Last Updated Dec 8, 2022 7:46 pm.
Singer and best-selling Canadian recording artist Celine Dion has revealed she is dealing with a rare incurable neurological disorder and will be forced to cancel upcoming tour dates.
Dion revealed she has been diagnosed with “stiff-person syndrome” in an emotional Instagram video posted on Thursday morning. The 54-year-old Quebec native says the diagnosis will force her to postpone or cancel her 2023 European tour dates through July that were set to begin in February.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time,” Dion says in the video, adding it’s been difficult for her to face the health challenges and discuss them openly.
“While we’re still learning about this condition. We now know this has been causing the spasms I have been having.”
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The singer says the issues stemming from the illness have affected every aspect of her daily life, including increasing difficulty walking and an inability to use her vocal chords in a way she would need to perform.
“It’s been a struggle,” she says. “All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most.”
Stiff-person syndrome, also known as SPS, is an incurable but treatable neurological disease that is characterized by progressive muscle stiffness and repeated episodes of painful muscle spasms, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
It is estimated to impact approximately one in a million people. The exact cause of the illness is not known.
In many instances, treatment has been known to stabilize the symptoms brought on by the disease.
“I have hope that I’m on the road to recovery,” Dion says, adding she has a team of doctors behind her and is receiving immense support from her children.
“I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person”
The renowned songstress has sold more than 200 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling music artists of all-time.
Born and raised in Charlemagne, Quebec, she achieved domestic fame in the 1980s after releasing a series of French-language albums. She exploded to international stardom in the 1990s with a string of English-language number-one hits and top-selling albums.
Dion has three children, a son born in 2001 and fraternal twins born in 2010. Her husband, Rene Angelil, passed away in 2016 after a battle with throat cancer.
