Canadian songstress Celine Dion revealed on Instagram on Thursday (December 8) that she is diagnosed with a rare disease called Stiff Person Syndrome.
She told her 5.2 million fans on the platform that the neurological disorder caused her to have severe muscle spasms in the past.
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She had no choice but to cancel and postpone a series of European shows on Thursday due to her illness.
In a five-minute video posted on Instagram in French and English, a clearly emotional Dion said she had been suffering from health problems “for a long time”.
“As you know, I’ve always been an open book. I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” the My Heart Will Go On hitmaker said in the emotional video.
Rare neurological disease
“Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life. Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I’m used to,” Dion said, adding this means she can’t restart her European tour scheduled for February.
“Recently I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called ‘stiff person syndrome’ which affects something like one in a million people,” the Canadian diva said.
It has been causing spasms that “affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I’m used to,” she said.
“It hurts me to tell you today this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine website, “SPS is a very rare disease affecting only one or two people per million. It causes progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms that can be triggered by a variety of things including sudden movement, cold temperature or unexpected loud noises.”
The 54-year-old went on to say that she is working with her team of doctors to get better but it has been an uphill battle.
“I’m working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again. But I have to admit, it’s been a struggle,” she said.
“For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment and I have hope that I’m on the road to recovery. This is my focus and I’m doing everything that I can to recuperate.”
She said she was supported by her children and a team of doctors every day to improve her condition, “but I have to admit I 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.
The singer had mentioned the spasms when she postponed the European tour earlier this year.
“I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you,” she said, breaking into tears.
Her spring dates in Europe, which were due to begin in Czech Republic in February, have been postponed to 2024, while eight of her summer shows have been cancelled entirely.
The “Courage World Tour” began in 2019, and Dion had completed 52 shows before the Covid-19 pandemic put the remainder on hold.
She later cancelled the North American section of the tour due to her health problems.
Fans have reached out to Dion on social media to send her well wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery.
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