Celine Dion Tearfully Reveals She’s Been Diagnosed With A Rare, Incurable Neurological Disease In New Video

Celine Dion revealed that she has been diagnosed with a rare, incurable neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome.  The chart-topping hitmaker took to social media early Thursday morning (Dec. 8) to share a tearful video, revealing her diagnosis with fans and…

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Andrew Wendowski

Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.

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Posted on December 8, 2022

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Celine Dion; Photo Courtesy of Instagram Video/@CelineDion

Celine Dion revealed that she has been diagnosed with a rare, incurable neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome. 

The chart-topping hitmaker took to social media early Thursday morning (Dec. 8) to share a tearful video, revealing her diagnosis with fans and to address the fate of her upcoming tour dates.

“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. It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February,” Dion, 54, captioned the clip on Instagram.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion)

The clip opened with Dion apologizing to fans for not being active much and for waiting to share her health diagnosis.

“Hello everyone, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person. As you know I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” Dion shared.

She then shared that she has been suffering from a “very rare neurological condition” that causes muscle spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing.

“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. Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people,” she said in her video. “While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having.”

“Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life,” Dion continued. “Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion)

She concluded the clip as she became overcome with emotions and graciously thanked her fans for their support.

“I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you. Being on the stage. Performing for you. I always give 100 percent when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now,” Dion concluded. “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 I can to recuperate. I want to thank you so much for your encouraging wishes of love and support on my social media. This means a lot to me.”

“Take care of yourselves. Be well. I love you guys so much and I really hope I can see you again real soon,” Dion said, ending the clip in tears. “Thank you.”

According to The Stiff Person Syndrome Foundation, “Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a neurological disease with autoimmune features. Symptoms include muscle spasms, hyper-rigidity, debilitating pain, and chronic anxiety. Muscle spasms can be so violent they can dislocate joints and even break bones. SPS is labeled as a rare disease. But more people are affected than reported due to misdiagnoses. It takes on average seven years to identify.”

The Foundation also reports that the disease is “often mistaken as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Fibromyalgia, Psychosomatic Illness, Anxiety, Phobia, and other autoimmune diseases” and that those suffering from the disease can become “disabled, wheelchair bound or bedridden, unable to work and care for themselves.”

As a result of her diagnosis, Dion was forced to push back her Spring 2023 Tour to 2024 in addition to canceling eight of her Summer 2023 concerts (scheduled from May 31 to July 2023).

Dion, a five-time GRAMMY-award winner, promised fans that she will return to the stage to perform again.

“All I know is singing, It’s what I’ve done all of my life and it’s what I love to do the most,” Dion added. “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.”

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Andrew Wendowski is the Founder and CEO of Music Mayhem. As a 29-year-old entrepreneur, he oversees content as the Editor-In-Chief for the independent brand. Wendowski, who splits time between Philadelphia, Penn., and Nashville, Tenn., has an extensive background in multimedia. Before launching Music Mayhem in 2014, he worked as a highly sought-after photojournalist and tour photographer, collaborating with such labels as Interscope Records and Republic Records. He has captured photos of some of the biggest names, including Taylor Swift, Metallica, Harry Styles, P!NK, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Shania Twain, and hundreds more. Wendowski’s photos and freelance work have appeared nationwide and can be seen everywhere from ad campaigns to various publications, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. When Wendowski isn’t running Music Mayhem, he enjoys spending time at concerts, traveling, and capturing photos.

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