Celine Dion has revealed that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome.
She said the disorder affects approximately one in a million people.
Dion said in a video message posted on Instagram that the disorder causes spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing. “While we are still learning about this rare condition, we now know that it was the cause of all the spasms I’ve been having. Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when walking and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way they do.” I got used to it.”
Dion explained that due to the effect on her ability to perform, she had no choice but to postpone her upcoming “Brave” tour, which was due to start in February after being postponed three times. “I miss you so much,” she said, her voice full of emotion and tears in her eyes. “I miss seeing all of you, on stage, performing for all of you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition doesn’t allow me to give that to you now.”
According to Web MD, Stiff Person Syndrome is “a progressive neurological and autoimmune disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord.” Symptoms include muscle stiffness or spasm that can affect one area or the entire body, muscle enlargement and difficulty walking or moving. There is no cure.
Earlier this year, the UK and European tour dates were pushed back for the third time, to February 2023, while the US leg of the tour was cut short. At the time, Dion indicated health issues but did not reveal a diagnosis.
Read Dion’s full statement below:
Welcome everyone. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you. I miss you all so much. And I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person. You know, I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before. But I’m ready now.
I’ve been dealing with my health issues for a long time and it’s been really hard for me to face these challenges and talk about everything I’ve been through.
I was recently diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which affects about 1 in a million people. While we are still learning about this rare condition, we now know that it was the cause of all the cramps I was having.
Unfortunately, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when walking and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I used to.
It pains me to tell you today that this means I will not be ready to resume my tour of Europe in February.
I have a great team of doctors working with me to help me get better and help my dear children who support me and give me hope.
I work hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to rebuild my strength and ability to perform again. But I have to admit it was a struggle. All I know is to sing, that’s what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most.
I really miss you. I miss seeing you all, on stage, performing for all of you. I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition doesn’t allow me to give you that right now.
For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to focus on my health in the moment and hope that I am on the road to recovery. This is my focus and I’m doing everything I can to recover.
I would like to thank you very much for your encouraging wishes of love and support on my social media. This means a lot to me. Take care of yourselves. be good. I love you guys very much. I really hope to see you again soon.
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