Céline Dion Opens Up About Her Illness in an Interview with NBC News
Rarely seen in the media for several years due to her battle with a rare illness called stiff person syndrome, Céline Dion has revealed the struggles she faces in an interview with NBC News.
Diagnosed with the incurable stiff person syndrome in December 2022, a condition that affects the central nervous system, the Canadian star shared her experience in an interview with American news channel NBC News, set to air on June 25 on Prime Video.
In the interview, Céline Dion discusses her daily battle against the illness, which causes her pain “as if someone is strangling you.” Stiff person syndrome manifests as stiffness in the torso accompanied by spasms. At 56 years old, the singer breaks her silence in the NBC documentary, stating, “It’s going well, but it’s a lot of work. It’s one day at a time. I haven’t fought the illness, it’s still within me forever. Hopefully, we will find a miracle, a way to cure it through scientific research, but I have to learn to live with it.”
Describing her daily struggles, she explains, “It feels like someone is strangling you, like someone is pushing your larynx/pharynx like this,” mimicking the action. The spasms lead to “the feeling that if I point my toes, they will get stuck, or if I cook – because I love cooking – my fingers, my hands will cramp,” she reveals.
All of Céline Dion’s concerts scheduled for 2023 have been canceled, but she reassured her fans by mentioning “the excellent team of doctors who are treating me to help me get better. And it’s my children who give me the courage and hope to continue,” she added.