Millions of people around the world were upset when they heard about Celine Dion and her health crisis. She came out to openly admit that she had Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
For many years, Celine Dion was at the top of the list of entertainers when it came to music. She had an incredible voice and would be on the stage in front of thousands of adoring fans regularly.
After she came out with information about her neurological disorder, she continued to help us understand more about what she was going through. Most recently, in June 2024, she shared her journey in a personal documentary.
There are many things to consider in the documentary to help us understand more about what she is going through. One particular moment, however, is difficult to see.
It all started in December 2022 when she announced that she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome. Most people had never even heard about the neurological condition, so she spoke more about it to let people know what she was going through.
The primary symptoms of Stiff Person Syndrome include muscle stiffness and spasms. Double vision, slurred speech, and an inability to walk are some of the other symptoms that may occur.
Her sister shared the following: “It’s an illness we know so little about. There are spasms – they’re impossible to control. You know how people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s a bit like that but in all muscles. There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain.”
In June 2024, she sat down to provide a very open interview, which was her first since she was diagnosed with the condition. She said that she had been battling a very difficult and very painful condition for almost 2 decades.
Doctors were not able to pinpoint the reason why she was having health problems, despite the fact she had gone through a number of tests and treatments. Eventually, the diagnosis was a neurological disorder.
She continued to do well for a number of years and hid her problems behind the scenes. There was one particular time on the Taking Chances world tour when she had a very stressful moment.
Eventually, it became too difficult to hide that she was going through a health crisis. She had to change her tour plans for Europe at one point and the pandemic didn’t help matters. Eventually, she had to postpone the shows because of her health crisis and that is when she admitted she had a problem.
She said: “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time. It’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.
“It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February…I miss seeing all of you…being on stage…performing for you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but I can’t give you that right now.”
She made her appearance again in 2024, but this time it was in a personal documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.” She even appeared on the red carpet.
You could hear the emotion in her voice when she spoke about being in public and on stage again. She said: “I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my fans in my life. Thank you. Thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you.”
In the end, she promised her fans: “Your presence in my journey has been a gift beyond measure. Your never-ending love and support over all these years have delivered me to this moment. I hope to see you all again very, very soon.”
In the documentary, you get to see some of the more difficult issues she deals with as a result of her neurological condition. This included a severe muscle spasm attack that she says could be so severe it could break a rib. She spoke about how embarrassed she felt when she experienced it.
We know this is a difficult time for her and we hope she can get some peace and comfort until they are able to care for it properly.