The sister of Celine Dion, the iconic Canadian singer, has offered new details about the neurological disease that affects her, known as stiff person syndrome (SPS, in English). In an interview offered to the media 7 Jours, Claudette Dion assured that her sister “works hard, but she no longer has control of her muscles.”
Dion had already canceled all the dates of her tour until next year at the beginning of 2023, due to this condition, which despite its effects, has not taken away hope: “In our dreams and yours, the goal remains that back on stage,” added Claudette.
The artist’s sister, who sang the emblematic song at the end of the 90s My Heart Will Go On as part of the film soundtrack Titanic, explained that since the vocal cords are also muscles, it was already difficult for Celine to sing. On social networks, however, many have questioned his statements and they find it hard to believe that the advance has been so sudden.
“It’s one case in a million, scientists haven’t done as much research because it hasn’t affected as many people,” Claudette explained.
Following the news, the family charity Fondation Maman Dion has not stopped receiving thousands of messages in support of the singer, Claudette said. “People tell us that they love her and that they pray for her.”
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Celine Dion, who suffered from uncontrollable and painful muscle spasms, revealed her diagnosis in December 2022 and canceled the dates of her European tour for February of this year, although in May she ended up suspending it completely.
Claudette qualified in another interview with Hello! magazine. to her sister like “a strong woman who is doing everything possible to recover”while the family hopes that doctors “find a solution for this horrible disease with no cure.”
“There is little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain,” Claudette explained, referring to the strong spasms her sister was suffering.
The singer, who resides in Las Vegas, has stayed out of the public eye since announcing the cancellation of her tour.
What is stiff person syndrome?
This rare disease that affects one in a million people is a rare and progressive neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness in the torso, legs and torso, according to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The organization assures that it also generates in patients “greater sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch and emotional distress, which can trigger muscle spasms,” which causes “abnormal postures, often hunched and rigid.”
The syndrome causes those affected “may be too incapacitated to walk or move, or are afraid to leave the house” because of the noises that exist.
SPS affects twice as many women as men and “scientists still don’t understand what causes it,” although research claims that it is “an autoimmune response that twists in the brain and spinal cord.”
