Celine Dion delivers emotional update on her health ‘struggle’ in heartbreaking footage

May 24, 2024
The footage and Dion's emotional revelation touched the hearts of fans who quickly took to social media to praise Dion for being so open with her journey. Source: Getty Images.

Since iconic singer Celine Dion revealed her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in 2022, adoring fans have been following her journey closely.

Now fans have been offered a raw glimpse into her battle with the neurological disorder after the My Heart Will Go On hitmaker shared the trailer for her upcoming documentary I Am: Celine Dion.

The documentary explores Dion’s life and career and rise to superstardom while also shedding light on her ongoing struggle with SPS.

In the clip, Dion breaks down while discussing the impact of her condition.

“I’m working hard everyday. But I have to admit, it’s been a struggle,” she revealed.

“I miss it so much. The people, I miss them. If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. I won’t stop.”

 

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The trailer and Dion’s emotional revelation touched the hearts of fans who quickly took to social media to praise Dion for being so open with her journey.

“Crying wasn’t on my agenda today but HERE WE ARE,” one adoring fan wrote.

“I was okay until I saw that shot of Céline crying. I’m a mess. You are the best.”

“I have chills!!!! She is so brilliantly strong!! Praying for Celine.”

“The GREATEST singer of our time. No question,” commented another.

“It is truly moving to see how Celine Dion continues to impact so many lives with her music and story of resilience.”

Dion previously explained that she hopes to “raise awareness” about SPS and “help others who share this diagnosis” through the documentary.

“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she said in a previous post to Instagram.

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

 

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In December 2022, Dion surprised her fans by candidly sharing on social media that she had been diagnosed with SPS. The condition had a profound impact on every aspect of her daily life, causing occasional challenges in walking and affecting her ability to use her vocal cords.

“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time,” Dion said at the time.

“And it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.

“Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff person syndrome which affects something like one in a million people.

“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms 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.”

Stiff person syndrome, as explained by the National Organisation for Rare Disorders (NORD), is a rare neurological disorder marked by gradual muscle stiffness and recurring episodes of painful muscle spasms. These spasms can manifest sporadically or be triggered by various factors, such as sudden noise or light physical contact.

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