Weeks after revealing that she was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, Celine Dion shared a special holiday message with fans along with an update on her health on Christmas Eve.
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“Wishing you love, happiness, the best of health,” said Dion. Blowing a kiss to the camera, the singer added “Bye, bye.”
On December 8, Dion revealed that she would be postponing her 2023 European tour after being diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disease called Stiff Person Syndrome.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time,” shared a tearful Dion in a video message posted to her Instagram account in early December. “And it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through. Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people.”
She added, “While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having.”
In her message, Dion revealed that the spasms she’s been experiencing have impacted “every aspect” of her daily life, including causing difficulty when walking and preventing her from using her vocal chords in the way she is used to using them.
Stiff Person Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder of the nervous system, according to the Mayo Clinic, which often results in progressive, severe muscle stiffness and spasms of the lower extremities and back.
“This neurological disorder can affect anyone at any age,” said Dr. Andrew McKeon, a neurologist and expert in autoimmune neurology and movement disorders at the Mayo Clinic, in a statement. “More commonly, it affects women, usually starting in the 40s or 50s. More than 50 percent of patients have a coexisting non-neurological autoimmune disease, such as Type 1 diabetes or autoimmune thyroid disease.”
In January 2022, Dion was forced to cancel her Las Vegas residency shows in 2021, citing “unforeseen medical symptoms.” Dion later canceled the remaining dates of her North American Courage World Tour, sharing that she was undergoing medical treatment for “severe and persistent muscle spasms,” which were preventing her from performing.
The spring dates of Dion’s 2023 European tour have been rescheduled with shows originally scheduled for February 24 through April 11 postponed until March 6 through April 22, 2024. Additionally, eight of Dion’s upcoming summer shows, which were previously set from May 31 through July 17, have been canceled, while her Aug. 26 through Oct. 4, 2023, dates are remaining as scheduled.
“For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment,” added Dion in her earlier message. “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 encouraging wishes of love and support on my social media. This means a lot to me. I really hope I can see you again real soon.”
Photo: Sony Music
