Singer Celine Dion has made her plans to return to stage known sooon. She said her journey as someone with the rare neurological condition stiff person syndrome (SPS), an incurable disorder which causes uncontrollable muscle spasms and pain. The 56-year-old Canadian queen of power ballads also said she’s hopeful she can find a way to perform for audiences again, following an onstage appearance last
The iconic artiste has reportedly been offered a prestigious opportunity to perform at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics despite the progression of her illness.
The Canadian singer, known for her powerful voice, revealed she’d been diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition – that affects the muscles, causing stiffness and spasms – in 2022.
The last few years have been private ones for the “My Heart Will Go On” singer, who announced in late 2022 that she’d been diagnosed with SPS after “dealing with problems with my health for a long time.” The condition had been “causing difficulties when I walk” and was “not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” the singer said, a challenge that forced her to cancel performances she had planned in 2023..
Unlike her usual full-length concert engagements, this performance would involve singing just one song during the grand opening ceremony, making it a much more doable return for the artist.
The close source elaborated, “The formal offer to perform was made earlier this year, and Celine is working around the clock to make it happen. She’s made huge leaps and is getting stronger every day, but she’s not out of the woods yet. Everyone has their fingers crossed it is able to happen. It will be quite the moment.”
Throughout her journey with stiff-person syndrome, Celine Dion has remained resilient and has not allowed her diagnosis to define her.
In her recent documentary I Am: Celine Dion, she candidly shares her experiences and hopes to raise awareness about the lesser-known condition with which she’s afflicted.
“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” she reflected in the doc.
“As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans.”
Dion further emphasized her commitment to using her platform to shed light on stiff-person syndrome, stating, “During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”
In her statement , the 56 year old singer wrote ”Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, But I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible.”
As fans and the global community await further updates on whether Celine Dion will grace the stage at the Paris Olympics, her potential performance stands as a testament to her strength, determination, and unwavering
