Celine Dion ‘working hard’ to return to the stage despite losing ‘control of her muscles’

Celine Dion’s sister has shared a heartfelt update on the iconic singer’s health, revealing that the global sensation is determined to make a triumphant return to the stage despite her ongoing health battle.

Dion, renowned for her powerful vocals and chart-topping hits, has been battling Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), the debilitating illness posing significant challenges for Dion, making it difficult to perform and forcing her to postpone several of her shows in the past.

Claudette Dion, sister of the Grammy-winning artist, shared that the renowned singer is grappling with a loss of control over her muscles.

Speaking to Canadian site 7 jours, Claudette spoke of how “some people have lost hope because it’s all illness that isn’t well known.”

“If only you knew the number of phone calls the Foundation [Fondation Maman Dion, which helps underprivileged children] gets about Celine!” she added.

“People tell us they love her and they’re praying for her. She gets so many messages, presents and blessed crucifixes.”

Despite her setbacks, Claudette assured fans that her sister is working hard to overcome her health challenges, hoping to grace the stage once again.

“She’s working hard, but she doesn’t have control over her muscles,” she said.

“What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard. Our mother always told her: ‘You’re going to do it well, you’re going to do it properly.’

“It’s true that in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? I don’t know.”

Celine shocked fans in December 2022 when she took to social media to reveal her diagnosis of SPS, a condition that was significantly impacting every facet of her daily life. She shared that the disorder occasionally led to walking difficulties and hindered 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.

“It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”

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A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion)

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.