Céline Dion took to social media on Thursday (December 8) to reveal she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called Stiff Person Syndrome.
What Is Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)?
Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord.
Symptoms may include extreme muscle stiffness, rigidity and painful spasms in the trunk and limbs, severely impairing mobility.
Spasms can generate enough force to fracture bone.
People with SPS often have heightened sensitivity to noise, sudden movements, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms.
In the heartbreaking video, posted on her Instagram page, Céline Dion was emotional as she shared the news of her diagnosis.
“Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people. 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.”
The 54-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer also shared how SPS has been impacting her life.
“Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life. Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”
In the caption of her video, Céline shared that she will be rescheduling her Spring 2023 tour dates and canceling her Summer 2023 tour dates.
“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…It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February,” she wrote.
Watch Céline Dion’s video message below.
Please keep Céline Dion in your thoughts and prayers.
