Céline Dion’s Brave Battle Against Stiff Person Syndrome
In a shocking statement to the Canadian media, Claudette Dion, sister of the famous singer Céline Dion, shared details about the artist’s difficult situation due to the neurological disease known as rigid person syndrome (RPS). The disease has led Céline Dion to lose control of her muscles, affecting her ability to sing and perform on stage.
“Céline works a lot, but she has no control of her muscles,” Claudette Dion explained to the Canadian media 7 Jours. “In our dreams and in hers, the idea is to return to the stage. In what state? I don’t know. The vocal cords are muscles and the heart is also a muscle,” added the singer’s sister.
Céline Dion, 55, went public with her fight against MRS in October 2021, when she revealed that the disease affects her nervous system and causes muscle spasms. This condition forced her to cancel concerts in Las Vegas (USA) that same year. In December 2022, the illness led to the cancellation of her European tour scheduled for 2023 and, subsequently, her entire world tour.
The artist, winner of two Oscars and multiple Grammy Awards, expressed in a statement in December 2022 that the spasms affect all aspects of her daily life, including her ability to walk. Additionally, she revealed that her vocal cords were affected, preventing her from singing as she previously did.
Claudette Dion also highlighted one of the challenges her sister faces: the limited medical research on stiff person syndrome, since it affects very few people around the world. The Dion family faces the difficult task of finding solutions amid the rarity of the disease.
This eye-opening testimony sheds light on Céline Dion’s brave battle and highlights the importance of raising awareness about rare diseases, as well as the need for more research and resources to address their unique challenges.