Celine Dion Reveals Neurological Disease Diagnosis That Turns Sufferers Into Human Statues

Celine Dion previously shared that she was dealing with health issues that forced her to cancel and reschedule tour dates around the world. However, in a new update posted on Instagram on December 9, the legendary pop diva shared her heartbreaking diagnosis and revealed the extent of her struggles to get better.

In the video, an emotional Dion announced the further rescheduling of previously postponed 2023 tour dates to 2024. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she began. “It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”

She continued by saying that she was unprepared to publicly discuss her condition previously, but was finally ready to share what was happening.

“Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome which affects something like one in a million people,” Dion explained. “While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having. Unfortunately, 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’m used to.”

She went on to say that she’s not giving up. In fact, she continues to work with a “great team of doctors” to improve her health with the aim of hopefully getting her back on the road.

“I’m working hard with my support medicine therapist every day. To build back my strength and my ability to perform again. But I have to admit it’s been a struggle,” she said through tears. “All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life. And it’s what I love to do the most. I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you. Being on the stage, performing for you. I always give a hundred percent when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now. For me to reach you again I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment.”

Stiff person syndrome causes incredibly painful muscle spasms in the arms and legs, leading to regular falls and struggles with movement. These spasms can be trigged by loud noises, physical touch, or emotional stress. While there are medications known to help with symptoms — diazepam, baclofen, and gabapentin are popular choices, per the National Institute of Health — there is no cure.

Celine Dion has been a fixture in music for more than three decades and is a legendary pop diva, so her health struggles are especially heartbreaking. However, the most important thing is that she focuses on healing right now. Hopefully, she’ll be well enough to perform again one day. She’s a human being, a mom, sister, and a friend before she’s a singer and a superstar.

Jennifer Still is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. The managing editor of Bolde, she has bylines in Vanity Fair, Business Insider, The New York Times, Glamour, Bon Appetit, and many more. You can follow her on Twitter @jenniferlstill
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