Celine Dion’s sister Claudette shares grim update on the singer’s health as she battles stiff person syndrome: ‘We can’t find any medicine that works’
- Dion, 55, shared in December that she’d been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome — a rare, incurable neurological disorder
- The star’s sister has now revealed that she’s yet to ‘find any medicine that works’ but is working closely with the ‘top researchers’
- READ MORE: What IS stiff person syndrome?
Celine Dion’s sister Claudette Dion has shared an update on the Power Of Love singer’s health following her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome that forced her to cancel her world tour.
Speaking to Le Journal de Montreal (via SheMazing), Claudette said that Celine, 55, is being cared for by their sister Linda and working closely with researchers who specialize in the rare condition.
‘We can’t find any medicine that works, but having hope is important,’ she revealed this week.
‘I honestly think that she mostly needs to rest. She always goes above and beyond [when performing], she always tries to be the best and top of her game.
‘At one point, your heart and your body are trying to tell you something. It’s important to listen to it.’
Stiff person syndrome is an incurable neurological condition that results in uncontrollable muscle spasms. It affects just one in every one million people.
However, Celine has been ‘listening to the top researchers in the field of this rare disease as much as possible’ and the family ‘trusts’ that she will one day find a means of rehabilitation that will allow her to return to the stage.
Celine Dion’s sister Claudette Dion has shared an update on the Power Of Love singer’s health following her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome that forced her to cancel her world tour; seen in 2019
Disheartened but determined: Speaking to Le Journal de Montreal (via SheMazing ), Claudette said that Celine, 55, is being cared for by their sister Linda and is working closely with researchers who specialize in the rare condition; Claudette seen in 2001
‘[Performing] is innate to her, she’s disciplined in every area of her life,’ Claudette added.
When she’s unable to speak one-on-one with Celine, Claudette is provided health updates by Linda, who is now living with the singer at her Las Vegas home.
‘When I call [Celine] and she’s busy, I speak to my sister Linda who lives with her and tells me that she’s working hard,’ she told the outlet.
Fans of the vocal powerhouse were incredibly supportive of Celine when news broke she was cancelling her world tour due to her health problems in May. She had previously postponed her planned shows after publicly sharing her diagnosis in December 2022.
Celine announced via Instagram that with ‘tremendous disappointment’ she would be unable to perform on her world tour.
‘It is with tremendous disappointment that we have to announce today the cancellation of the Courage World Tour,’ she wrote.
‘I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. 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.
‘I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!’
Celine also shared an image of the full list of tour dates that had been cancelled, including shows in France, Belgium, Denmark, Poland and the UK, and along with a statement.
The statement added: ‘We do have every hope that someday soon, Celine will be able to come to all of these cities in Europe to perform for her amazing fans, but that time simply is not now.’
The recurring theme from the All By Myself singer’s fans was that they wanted her to prioritize her health.
‘All I care about is you,’ one fan wrote. Another added, ‘We love you Celine, take good care of yourself.’
In December, Celine revealed that she had been diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder, which causes muscles to tense uncontrollably ultimately leaves sufferers as ‘human statues’ as it progressively locks the body into rigid positions, leaving sufferers unable to walk or talk.
While there is no cure for stiff person syndrome, there are treatments that slow down the progression and Celine revealed she is doing all she can to minimize symptoms.
Hopeful: ‘We can’t find any medicine that works, but having hope is important,’ Claudette revealed; Celine seen in 2019
In December, the singer revealed that she had been diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder
‘At one point, your heart and your body are trying to tell you something. It’s important to listen to it,’ Claudette said of her sister; the pair seen in 1995
She addressed her fans in a tearful Instagram post on December 8.
‘Hello everyone, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person,’ she wrote.
‘As 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 problems with my health for a long time, and it has been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.
‘Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the Stiff Person Syndrome, which affects one in a million people.
‘While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all the spasms I’ve been having.’
Detailing the impact the condition has had on her, Celine continued: ‘Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.
‘It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.
‘I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children who are supporting me and giving me help.
‘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.
‘All I know is singing, it’s what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most.
The singer announced the tour’s cancellation with ‘tremendous disappointment’ in May, but added she’s ‘working really hard to build back her strength’; seen in 2019
The superstar explained: ‘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’
After Celine posted the sad news, she was flooded with messages of support from her fans, who urged her to take all the time she needed for the sake of her health
She addressed her fans in a tearful Instagram post on December 8, telling them that she has a ‘great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better’
‘I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you being on the stage performing for you.
‘I always give 100 per cent when I do my show but my condition is now allowing me to give you that right now.
‘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 wishes and 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.’
A source close to Celine recently told US Weekly, that the diagnosis ‘came as a shock, but she’s lost none of her fighting spirit and is comforted that at least she knows exactly what she’s dealing with now.
‘There’s comfort that she can alleviate some of the symptoms by getting treatments that are specific for this condition.’
The mother-of-three first hinted at her health woes in January 2022 when she cancelled the North American dates of her Courage world tour.
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