Celine Dion’s sister gives an update on the diagnosis of stiff person syndrome
Celine Dion‘s battle against stiff person syndrome continues to worsen, but her sister, Claudette Dionsays the singer is still fighting.
“She works hard, but she has no control over her muscles,” Claudette, 75, told the Canadian magazine 7 Days in an interview published on December 12. “What hurts me is that she has always been disciplined. She has always worked hard. My mom always told her, ‘You’re going to do this right, you’re going to do this right.’”
Claudette, who is a musician herself, noted that the “dream” for both Céline and her family is to somehow “return her to the stage.” “In what state? “I don’t know,” Claudette admitted. “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what [gets to] 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 sister noted that “some have lost hope because [it] is a disease that is not known.” However, Claudette revealed that the family receives “a lot of calls” from fans who “want to hear from Céline” and wish her well.
“People tell us they love her and are praying for her. She receives so many messages, gifts and blessed crucifixes,” says Claudette.
Céline first discussed her health issues in December 2022, announcing that she had to postpone her upcoming shows due to her battle with stiff person syndrome.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to contact you,” she said in an emotional video on social media. “I miss you all so much and I can’t wait to talk to you on stage in person. As you know, I have always been an open book and before I was not ready to say anything, but now I am ready.
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer explained: “I have been dealing with issues with my health for a long time and it has been very difficult for me to face these challenges and talk about everything I have experienced. ”
Céline revealed that the “very rare neurological condition” is responsible for the spasms she was experiencing. “I work hard every day with my sports medicine doctor to rebuild my strength and my ability to perform again, but I have to admit it has been a struggle,” she added, noting that the disease has damaged her vocal cords and affected other muscles. .
A source said this exclusively We weekly at the time, Céline is leaning on her three sons, René-Charles, 22, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13, for support. (The singer shared her boys with late husband René Angelil, who died in January 2016 at age 73 of throat cancer.)
“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 said.
Following her health announcement, Céline has remained out of the public eye, aside from a handful of outings. In October, she made a rare appearance with her sons at the Vegas Golden Knights hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens.
The family visited the Canadiens players before the game and Céline was apparently in good spirits. She offered them a pep talk and told the athletes, “Just stay healthy, stay strong… Do what you do best,” according to a social media video posted by the team.