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Celine Dion’s sister Claudette shared a heartbreaking update on the Canadian singer's health, saying she's struggling to find effective treatment.
The singer revealed in December last year that she'd been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called stiff person syndrome.
"We can't find any medicine that works, but having hope is important," Claudette Dion told French publication Le Journal de Montréal this week.
“When I call her and she’s busy, I speak to my sister Linda who lives with her and tells me that she’s working hard on her recovery.”
“She’s listening to the top researchers in the field of this rare disease as much as possible,” Claudette said.
Born to musician and butcher Adhémar Dion and TV personality Thérèse Dion, Céline is one of 13 children — Denise, Clément, Claudette, Liette, Michel, Louise, Jacques, Daniel, Ghislaine, Linda, Manon and twins Paul and Pauline, who all have experience in music.
Celine (55) is being cared for by Linda and Claudette said the family hopes to find medication that can help so Celine can get back to her music. "[Performing] is innate to her, she's disciplined in every area of her life."
The high priestess of pop has 808 concert tours and 1 141 residency shows under her belt in a career spanning three decades.
Performing live on stage is what she loves most – but she may never feel that thrill again. Her cherished concert career was cut short by the debilitating condition that has left her a shadow of herself.
Pulling the plug on her Courage World Tour devastated her fans – but no one was more heartbroken than Céline.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint you once again,” she said. “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 keep postponing the shows and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m 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!”
Yet her health has deteriorated to such an extent it’s hard to imagine when, if ever, she’ll be strong enough to withstand the stress and strain of live performances.
In the recent interview, her sister Claudette expressed her concern. “I honestly think that she mostly needs to rest. She always goes above and beyond, 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.”
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All 42 dates for the 2023 and 2024 Courage tour, which included shows in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Zurich have been scrapped.
“The goal is for her to tour again for sure, but once she’s better,” a source told People magazine. “Right now, she’s focusing on her health – it wasn’t fair to her fans to keep them hoping the show would go on.”
There's no cure for stiff person syndrome, a degenerative condition where muscles can become so rigid they feel like a board. Muscle spasms, which can be triggered by stress, are extremely painful and can be severe enough even to break bones. Although the disease itself isn’t fatal it can result in deadly blood clots or wound infections due to immobility – and in some cases spasms can affect the ability to breathe.
Patients are often left disabled, wheelchair-bound or bedridden, unable to work or care for themselves. It’s a bleak picture – and after months of ill health Céline finally told fans of her devastating diagnosis in an emotional video in December.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she said.
Muscle rigidity was affecting every aspect of her daily life and even affecting her ability to sing.
“It’s not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she said tearfully.
Although fans have been unwavering in their support, it’s her sons, René-Charles (22) and 12-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy, who are her greatest source of joy and strength.
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“They are her light right now,” an insider says. “Her main focuses are always her sons and performing. She’s the most selfless and considerate person.
“Céline just loves her boys so much. They give her all the support she needs.”
The Courage tour was to have been the singer’s first global concert tour in a decade and the first without her husband-manager, René Angélil, who died of cancer in 2016. Despite the bleak outlook, a statement posted by her team on her website recently expressed optimism for the future.
“We do have every hope that someday soon Céline 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.” A source told CNN the Canadian superstar is in a lot of pain.
“Although she does a lot of physical therapy it’s likely she will never tour again.”
Most of her time is spent with her family and she’s rarely seen out and about. She did, however, make an appearance as a fictionalised version of herself in her first movie: the romcom Love Again, which stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan.
The actors didn’t film any scenes with Céline in person due to it being filmed during the pandemic but were honoured to appear in the film with her.
“We were in our own bubble in the UK and Céline was in Canada,” Sam told Entertainment Weekly. “It was difficult, but I think they did some great magic in the movie. And honestly Céline is such a professional herself, that’s [why] it really worked out.”
The movie also included five new songs written and sung by Céline, which was very special, Priyanka says.
“She was really behind the movie and that feels really, really great to have that support from her as well.
“You throw in original music from Céline that we’ve not had for so long, and it was really hard to think of a reason not to do this movie.”
Jim Strouse, the movie’s writer-director, says it took “months, maybe even a year” to persuade her to come on board. They also wanted her to record new music for the film but they didn’t want it to feel forced, says producer Esther Hornstein.
Once she’d agreed to the project, she was a joy to work with, Esther says. “She was blown away by how Jim envisioned her role and the film.”
The movie and the new tracks were a sign to her devoted fans that she’s staying strong. A source close to the star says Céline is doing everything she can to get back on track for her supporters.
“She hasn’t given up at all. She’s hoping to get all the issues with this disease under control so she can sing again.”
SOURCES: BBC.COM, ROLLINGSTONE.COM, PEOPLE.COM, CUIMC.COLUMBIA.EDU, EW.COM, NYPOST.COM , Le Journal de Montréal, Daily Mail,
