Celine Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome (Picture: Getty)
Celine Dion’s sister has shared a heartbreaking update over her illness, revealing that she no longer has ‘control over her muscles’.
The My Heart Will Go On singer was forced to cancel her tour commitments last December after revealing that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome – a rare neurological disease which causes severe spasms.
After stepping back from the spotlight to focus on her recovery, the 55-year-old delighted fans last month when she belted out a few notes during an appearance in Las Vegas, for a NHL game.
In a new interview, Claudette Dion spoke of how her sibling is coping behind the scenes, explaining that she is ‘working hard’ to overcome her condition.
‘She’s working hard, but she doesn’t have control over her muscles,’ she told 7 Jours, via Hello Magazine. ‘What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard. Our mother always told her, “You’re going to do it well, you’re going to do it properly.”
‘It’s true that in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? I don’t know.’
She was forced to take a step back to focus on her health (Picture: Getty)
There is currently no known cure for stiff-person syndrome, which is said to turn people into ‘human statues’ as the body becomes more rigid.
Claudette shared that, because it’s such a rare condition, there is very little research on the symptoms and possible treatments.
‘Because it’s 1 out of a million case, the scientists haven’t done that much research because it didn’t affect that many people,’ she added.
Celine shed light on her illness for first time in December, telling fans that she had been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system.
Celine’s sister shared a heartbreaking update (Picture: Getty)
Speaking in a video at the time, she said: ‘Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder 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 this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having.
‘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.
‘For me to reach you again I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment 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.’
What is stiff-person syndrome?
Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).
SPS is characterised by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Stiff-person syndrome is extremely rare.
Only about one out of every one million people have been diagnosed with this syndrome. Twice as many women have stiff person syndrome as men. Symptoms can occur at any age but usually develop between ages 30 and 60.
Despite the limited information, Claudette previously insisted that the family will not be giving up hope.
‘It’s an illness we know so little about,’ she previously told Hello! Canada. ‘There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain.
‘We’re crossing our fingers that researchers will find a remedy for this awful illness.’
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Heartbreaking.