Celine Dion’s sister has given fans an update on the singer’s health. (Getty)
Celine Dion can no longer control her muscles as a result of her battle with stiff-person syndrome, her sister has shared.
The legendary singer confirmed last December that she had been diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder that can cause muscle stiffness, slurred speech, painful spasms, and unsteady walking.
As a result, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer was left with no choice but to cancel her highly-anticipated 2023-2024 tour.
Dion had assured fans at the time that she was working with a “great time of doctors” to help her “build back” her strength, but a new health update from her sister Claudette reveals that the singer’s condition has worsened.
In a recent discussion with Canada’s 7 Jours, Claudette revealed that her sister is working hard and still hopes to return to the stage one day, but for now, her muscles are not cooperating.
Speaking about the Maman Dion Foundation, of which she is the general director, Claudette told the news outlet: “If you only knew how many calls we receive at the Foundation to ask for Céline! People tell us they love her and pray for her.”
She continued: “She works hard, but she doesn’t have control of her muscles. What pains me is that she has always been disciplined. She always worked hard. Mom always told her, ‘You’re going to do this well, you’re going to do this well.’
“It’s true that, in our dreams and in hers, the idea is to return to the stage. In what state? I do not know. The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what gets me. Since it’s a one in a million case, scientists haven’t done that much research, because it didn’t affect that many people.”
Claudette noted that some people have already “lost hope” that Celine Dion’s condition will ever be cured, because it’s an “illness that is not known.”
Most fans are still holding out hope for Celine’s recovery, though, and have been showering her with messages of love and support ever since she first announced her diagnosis.
“It’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she revealed in a video posted to social media last year.
Dion shared that the condition was “causing difficulties” with her walking and affecting her vocal cords, meaning she is not able to “sing that way [she] used to.”
She continued: “All I know is singing is what I’ve done all my life and it’s what I love to do the most. I miss you so much, I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you.”
While Dion is spending most of her time focusing on recovery, last month saw her make her first public outing in almost four years when she attended an NHL hockey game with her three sons René-Charles, 22, and twins, Eddy and Nelson, 13.