Celine Dion has lost control of her muscles amid Stiff-Person Syndrome battle.
Canadian singer, Celine Dion, 55, has lost the ability to control her muscles as she continues to battle stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, according to her older sister, Claudette.
A year after sharing she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, the singer can no longer control certain body movements, says her sister Claudette Dion.
“She doesn’t have control over her muscles,” Claudette told 7 Jours, via translation from French. “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.'”
She noted, “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.”
Although research into the condition is ongoing, its rarity means progress has been slow. Claudette added, “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is a muscle too. This is what’s coming for me. Because it’s a 1 in a million case, the scientists didn’t do that much research because it didn’t affect that many people.”
Celine’s charity, Fondation Maman Dion, has been inundated with messages of support for the star. Claudette said: ‘Some people have lost hope because they are all diseases that are not well known. If you only knew how many calls the Foundation gets about Celine! People tell us they love her and are praying for her. She gets so many messages, presents, and blessed crucifixes.”
Claudette previously revealed that despite working with “the best researchers in the field,” her sister has seen little improvement in her health. She told Le Journal de Montreal: “We can’t find any medicine that works, but having hope is important.”
In October, Claudette said Celine was not yet dependent on a wheelchair to get around and was still planning to perform again.
Recall that in May, Celine canceled her Courage World Tour due to the rare neurological disorder, which can cause painful muscle spasms and stiffness.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again,” the 55-year-old wrote on Instagram at the time. “I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again.”
According to Claudette, their sister Linda has been living with Celine in the Las Vegas area as she receives care from doctors who specialize in stiff-person syndrome.
And although the Grammy winner focuses on resting, she was recently able to spend quality time with her 22-year-old son René-Charles and 13-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy, who she shared late husband René Angélil. Celine and her sons headed to the hockey arena Oct. 30, stepping out to watch the Montreal Canadiens take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
