Celine Dion, Candid Family Quotes About Battling Stiff-Person Syndrome

Celine Dion and her loved ones have offered health updates amid her battle with stiff person syndrome.

Dion revealed in December 2022 that she had to postpone several performances due to health problems.

“Hi everyone. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I miss you all so much and I can’t wait to talk to you on stage in person. As you know, I’ve always been an open book and before I was not ready to say anything, but now I am ready,” an emotional Dion said in an Instagram video at the time “I have been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it is has been very difficult for me to face these challenges and talk about everything I have been through.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, rigid-person syndrome is a rare disorder of motor function characterized by involuntary stiffness of the axial muscles and overlapping painful muscle spasms, often triggered by startle responses or emotional stimuli.

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Scroll down for everything Dion and her family shared about her health struggles:

Breaking the diagnosis

In December 2022, Dion said she had “no choice but to focus” on her health ahead of her career.

“I have hope that I am on the road to recovery. This is my focus and I am doing everything I can to recover,” she said via Instagram. “Take care of yourself. It goes well. I love you guys so much and I really hope I can see you again soon.”

Focusing on her recovery

“I have an amazing team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better, and my precious children, who support me and give me hope,” Dion noted in her December 2022 Instagram video. “I work every day working hard with my sports medicine doctor to build up my strength and my ability to perform again, but I have to admit it has been a struggle.”

While a source later said that We weekly that the diagnosis came as a “shock” to Dion, they noted that she “had not lost her fighting spirit and is comforted that at least she now knows exactly what she is dealing with and that she can alleviate some of the symptoms by receiving treatments specific to this condition.”

With her loved ones by her side

“Her children have been her rock… the twins are very mature for their age and René-Charles comes over all the time and adores his mother,” the insider shared. “Celine received this diagnosis quite recently; She has been struggling with the symptoms for a while, but it was always a mystery to her what was going on.” (Dion shared son René-Charles and twins Nelson and Eddy with late husband René Angélil, who died of throat cancer in January 2016 at age 73.)

Her sister Claudette also shared how the family has helped the artist. “If I call her and she is busy, I speak to my sister Linda, who lives with her, and tell me she works hard. She listens as much as possible to the top researchers in the field of this rare disease,” she said Le Journal de Montreal in 2023. “We trust her. It’s innate to her, she’s disciplined in every area of ​​her life… We can’t find a medicine that works, but having hope is important.”

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Claudette continued: “I honestly think what she needs most of all is rest. She always goes above and beyond, she always tries to be the best and the best of her abilities. At some point your heart and body are trying to tell you something. It is important to listen to it.”

In an August 2023 interview with Hello! Canada magazine Claudette called Dion a “strong woman” and noted that “she is doing everything she can to recover.” She told the newspaper that while there is little she and the rest of Dion’s family can do to support her and ease her pain, they are “crossing our fingers that research will find a cure for this terrible disease.”

The disease progresses

“She works hard, but she has no control over her muscles,” Claudette told the Canadian magazine 7 Days about her sister’s condition in December 2023. “What hurts me is that she has always been disciplined. She always worked hard.”

Claudette revealed that it is a “dream” of both Céline and the family that she will one day “return to the stage”. “What state? “I don’t know,” Claudette admitted. “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what gets me. Because it’s one in millions of cases, scientists haven’t done as much research because it doesn’t affect that many people.”

Céline’s sibling explained that while “some have lost hope because it is a disease that is not known,” many fans have continued to reach out with well wishes. “People tell us they love her and are praying for her. She receives so many messages, gifts and blessed crucifixes,” Claudette said.

Don’t Let Her Health ‘Define’ Her

“The past few years have been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning to live with it and cope with it, but not let it define me,” Céline shared in a January 2024 statement as she announced her Prime. Video documentary, I am: Céline Dion.

“As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I realize how much I have missed being able to see my fans,” she added. “During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness about this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”

Words of encouragement

Céline commemorated International Stiff Person Syndrome Day in March 2024 by sharing a rare Instagram photo of herself and her children. “Trying to overcome this autoimmune disease has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back on stage and live as normal a life as possible,” she captioned the post. “I am deeply grateful for the love and support from.”

She concluded her message with her “encouragement and support to everyone around the world affected by SPS,” adding, “I want you to know that you can do it! We can do it!”

The battle continues

Céline offered insight into her battle with stiff person syndrome in May 2024 Vogue France cover story interview. “I have not defeated the disease because it is still within me and always will be. I hope we will find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to live with it. So that’s me, now with Stiff Person Syndrome,” she told the magazine.

The singer further noted that she undergoes “athletic, physical and vocal therapy” five days a week, in addition to working on “my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing (and) my voice.”

She added: ‘I have to live with it now and stop questioning myself. At first I would ask myself: why me? How did this happen? What have I done? Is this my fault?”

Céline said that even though “life doesn’t give you answers,” you have to keep living it. “I have this disease for an unknown reason. The way I see it, I have two choices. I either train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over. I stay home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself,” she stated. “I have chosen to work with a medical team with my whole body and soul, from head to toe. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!