Celine Dion's Body Is Stiffening... "My Will Does Not Stop"

French Media Interview
"We Must Learn How to Live with Illness"

Canadian pop diva Celine Dion (56), who sang numerous hit songs including the theme song of the movie Titanic, shared an update on her condition as she battles a rare disease, expressing her determination to overcome it by saying, "Nothing will stop me." She is suffering from a disease called Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), which affects only about 8,000 patients worldwide.

Celine Dion. [Photo by Celine Dion Twitter]

On the 23rd (local time), US CNN and the UK Guardian reported that in an interview with Vogue France released the day before, Dion said, "While holding onto the hope that a miraculous treatment will be found, I am trying to accept reality." Dion revealed, "At first, I kept asking myself, 'Why me? How did this happen? What did I do? Is this my fault?'" However, she said, "Life does not give you any answers," and "You just have to live life."

She stated, "For some unknown reason, I developed this disease," and added, "Regarding how I view this, I have two choices: train like an athlete and work really hard, or switch off and shut down my nerves." She also shared, "I receive exercise, physical, and voice therapy five days a week." She continued, "Now, I have to learn how to live with the disease and stop asking myself questions."

Dion also said, "I stay at home, listen to my songs, and stand in front of the mirror singing to myself," adding, "I have chosen to cooperate fully with the medical staff with all my body and mind from head to toe." She expressed her will by saying, "I want to be in the best possible condition," and "My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again."

Earlier, in December 2022, Dion revealed that she was suffering from the rare neurological disease called Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS). SPS is a rare disease with only about 8,000 patients worldwide. Initially, muscles become stiff or experience spasms, but over time, the condition worsens, making walking difficult and causing pain severe enough to break bones. It is also known that spasms can be triggered by light touch, surrounding sounds, or emotional stimuli, making daily life challenging.

At that time, Dion explained, "Unfortunately, these spasms do not even allow me to use my vocal cords to sing," leading her to cancel all scheduled performances, much to the disappointment of her fans.

In this interview, Dion said, "I cannot promise fans that I will be able to perform live again," but emphasized, "There is one thing I will never stop, and that is my will. It is passion, dreams, and fighting spirit."

Meanwhile, Celine Dion is also beloved in Korea for the movie Titanic theme song "My Heart Will Go On." She has sold 250 million albums worldwide, with every album she released achieving success, and has won five Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards.