'Nothing Can Keep Her Down': Celine Dion Determined To Beat Stiff Person Syndrome, Hopes To Take The Stage Again
Dec. 19 2022, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
After months of mysterious health updates and canceled tour dates and singing engagements that have left her fans extremely troubled, Celine Dion finally got to the bottom of her ongoing problems — a rare, progressive neurological disease called Moersch-Woltman syndrome (or Stiff Person Syndrome) that affects only one out of every million people, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The My Heart Will Go On singer recently opened up about her diagnosis, revealing she's suffering from spasms that "affect every aspect of my daily life," adding that it makes it difficult for her to walk and "use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."
The condition, according to the Stiff Person Syndrome Foundation, affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord.
"Patients can be disabled, wheelchair-bound or bed-ridden, unable to work and care for themselves," they say, adding the disease with autoimmune features can include symptoms like "hyper-rigidity, debilitating pain, chronic anxiety" and muscle spasms "so violent they can dislocate joints and even break bones."
Celine's dreams of taking her three sons — René Charles, 21, and 11-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy — with her on her Courage World Tour have been canceled for now.
Surrounded by loving family and an army of devoted staffers who "wait on her hand and foot," said a pal, Celine has been dealing with her illness at their home in Henderson, Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas.
"She and the boys have always had a very rich family life," noted the friend about the singer, who grew up with 13 siblings.
The reason why the mystery surrounding Celine's muscle spasms may have gone on so long is that symptoms of stiff person syndrome can take several months and even a few years to develop and diagnose.
It's been a difficult time for Celine, who has been waiting to bring her Courage show to her adoring fans since the pandemic. But the painful spasms have made that impossible.
Although she's suffering now, the five-time Grammy winner vowed that she's not giving up on being able to perform again.
Tragically, Celine and her children are no stranger to dealing with lengthy health battles.
Her beloved husband and manager, René Angélil, battled throat cancer for 15 years. He would eventually have to go on a feeding tube — administered by Celine — before passing away two years later at the age of 73.
According to the star, he lives on in the eyes of their boys, who also give her "strength," she said, in dark times like these.
"Her boys are her rock. They adore their mom and do whatever they can to make her feel comfortable. They see that she's in pain sometimes, but she doesn't like for them to see her like that. She rarely complains in front of them."
With sisters Linda and Manon helping out with the boys, plus the support of all those around her, the singer can concentrate on getting well again.
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"She just wants to sing live in front of an audience again," the insider revealed. "She's determined to perform on stage. It's sad that her illness is preventing her from doing the thing she loves most. Knowing Celine, she will perform again very soon.
The source added, "Nothing can keep her down."
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