In December 2022, Celine Dion revealed that she was living with Stiff-Person Syndrome. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the rare autoimmune disease stiffens the muscles and causes spasms. “While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” she explained in a heartbreaking Instagram video. “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.” Dion went on to say that she was undergoing treatment by a team of doctors before expressing the difficulties of her predicament. “I have to admit, it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing; it’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most,” she added.
Read Related Also: Young woman diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 20 – and how a suspected UTI saved her life
After announcing the news, the “I’m Alive” singer stepped away from the spotlight aside from the occasional Instagram post reflecting on her music feats or appearance in the rom-com “Love Again.” Fortunately, her sister Claudette shared some promising news about the Grammy winner’s condition. “When I call her, and she’s busy, I speak to my sister Linda, who lives with her and tells me that she’s working hard,” she explained to Le Journal de Montreal in August 2023. “She’s listening to the top researchers in the field of this rare disease as much as possible. I honestly think she needs rest most of all.”
