Rare Disease Fighter Celine Dion: "I Will Crawl on Stage If I Have To"

Singer Celine Dion (56), who is battling a rare neurological disease, expressed her determination to return to the stage in a TV documentary, reminiscing about her performing days and saying, "If I can't walk, I will crawl to get there."

Documentary 'I Am: Celine Dion' Trailer [Photo by Prime Video YouTube Capture]

On the 23rd (local time), Amazon's streaming platform Prime Video released a trailer for the documentary "I Am: Celine Dion," which chronicles Dion's battle with illness. In the video, Dion tearfully recalled her past performances, saying, "I miss it so much. The people (the audience). I miss them."

She expressed her will to return, saying, "If I can't run, I will walk, and if I can't walk, I will crawl." She emphasized repeatedly, "I will not stop."

Earlier, in December 2022, Dion publicly revealed for the first time that she is suffering from a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS). This disease affects only about 8,000 people worldwide and is known to cause muscle stiffness that makes the body rigid and triggers spasms in response to sound, touch, or emotional stimuli.

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 the newly released footage, Dion said, "I was diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder, and before, I was not ready to say anything." After a brief pause, she nodded and confessed, "But now I am ready." She also shared about her battle, saying, "I try every day, but I have to admit that it (the illness) is difficult."

Previously, in an interview with Vogue France last month, Dion stated, "While holding onto the hope that a miracle cure will come, I am trying to accept reality." It is known that Dion is currently undergoing consistent rehabilitation therapy.

The documentary, set to be released on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S. this June, is reported to cover Dion's battle with illness as well as her journey as one of the world's top singers.

Celine Dion, who has been active as a singer for over 40 years since the 1980s, sang numerous hits including "My Heart Will Go On," the theme song of the movie Titanic. She has sold 250 million records worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards.