Music legend Céline Dion has been battling a rare disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome for a couple of years.
The Grammy-winning singer has bravely faced the difficulties posed by this condition, shedding light on her health struggles. During an exclusive cover story with PEOPLE, Dion opened up about how finding strength through her late husband has helped her throughout her battle with the disease.
Céline Dion’s Stiff-Person Syndrome Diagnosis
In December 2022, Céline Dion announced that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome (SPS). This is a rare disorder that affects the central nervous system, causing intense muscle spasms and abnormal posture.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, SPS is “a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time.”
It affects one in a million people, with symptoms usually developing between ages 30 and 60. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this condition.
“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,” Dion told fans.
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Céline Dion Receives Signs From Her Late Husband “All The Time”
Céline Dion’s diagnosis with the rare autoimmune and neurological disorder came nearly six years after her husband, René Angélil, died from throat cancer.
Despite facing the ongoing challenges of SPS, she continues to sense her late husband’s presence, receiving signs from him regularly.
“I’m still married to René. He’s still my husband. When we have to travel to my treatments to see my doctors, I always bring pictures [of him]. And we have pictures, of course, all over the place in the house.”
Dion even said that her kids are always on top of bringing the photos.
“My kids are always asking, ‘Did you bring Papa’s pictures?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, I have Papa’s pictures!’ He’s their dad, and he’s my husband, and he will always be.”
Dion shares three sons with Angélil — René-Charles, 23, and 13-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy. The whole family, along with Dion, continues to cherish and honor the memory of their father.
“Even when they were very small, even when he was still with us in his bed [when he was] in his room struggling, he was with us still,” she said. “[They would tell him], ‘Dad, we’re going to be watching Ratatouille tonight, so I hope you like it.’ They were talking to him, and they kiss the pictures.”
We hope that Céline Dion’s story can serve as an inspiration for others confronting their own health challenges.
Listen to Céline Dion sing “Recovering” below, a song that beautifully captures the theme of healing and moving forward following the passing of her late husband René Angélil.