Canadian pop megastar Céline Dion, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder, said in her first interview since the announcement of her diagnosis that she is healthy, but is currently taking life “one day at a time”.
The 56-year-old Dion, who is on the latest cover of the French version of the fashion magazine Vogue show off, revealed in December 2022 that she has Moersch-Woltman syndrome, also known as stiff person syndrome or SPS, has been diagnosed.
This causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms and leads to significant restriction of movement. Although this disease affects only one to two people in a million, it is difficult to diagnose and has a huge impact on a person’s quality of life.
She has on Vogue said that although she is doing “fairly well”, her diagnosis requires “a lot of work”. She has to undergo athletic, physical and vocal therapy five days a week.
There is no cure for SPS, but treatment can control the symptoms.
“I have not conquered the disease because it is still in me and always will be. I hope for a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it,” she added.
In May last year, Dion was forced to cancel a series of shows scheduled for 2023 and 2024.
She was last seen in public in February this year when she attended the Grammy Awards with a surprise appearance. She presented the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift.
When asked when she would return to the stage, Dion said Vogue said she “can’t answer that right now”.
“I don’t know… My body will tell me,” she explained.
RNews previously reported that the streaming service Amazon Prime Video announced last month that it had acquired the rights to produce a documentary film about Dion.
This movie, I Am: Celine Dion, will be made by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Irene Taylor and will give a raw and personal look at the 55-year-old singer’s battle with SPS.
“During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this unknown condition and to help others who share this diagnosis,” the singer wrote in a social media post about the movie.
