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Céline Dion has revealed that she has been forced to cancel her European tour dates after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome.
In an emotional video shared on Instagram on Thursday, the French-Canadian Grammy winner, 54, apologized to her fans for taking "so long to reach out," before giving an update on her health and how it would affect her performances.
"As you know, I've always been an open book and I wasn't ready to say anything before," she said at the start of the clip. "But I'm ready now."
"I've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time," she went on. "And it's been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through.
"Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people. While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what's been causing all the spasms I've been having."
Detailing how the disorder been affecting her, the singer went on: "Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to.
"It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won't be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February."
"I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children, who are supporting me and giving me help," the mother of three said. "I'm working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again.
"But I have to admit it's been a struggle. All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life and it's what I love to do the most."
What Is Stiff-Person Syndrome?
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) describes stiff-person syndrome (SPS) as a rare and incurable neurological disorder that leaves people experiencing bouts of rigidity in the truncal muscles and limbs.
People living with SPS also have a heightened sensitivity to stimuli, such as touch, noise, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. These sensitivities, says NINDS, often leaves people with SPS afraid to leave the house, as street noises such as car horns run the risk of triggering spasms and falls.
Those diagnosed with the disorder can be left with hunched over or stiffened postures. As the disorder progresses, others can be unable to walk or even move.
While scientists don't yet understand the cause of SPS, NINDS states that it affects twice as many women as men. Research also indicates it could be the result of an autoimmune response in the brain and spinal cord that has gone awry.
Often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, psychosomatic illness, or anxiety, SPS is associated with other autoimmune diseases, including diabetes, thyroiditis, vitiligo, and pernicious anemia.
SPS can be diagnosed via a blood test. Treatment involves anti-anxiety drugs, anti-convulsants, muscle relaxants, and pain relievers. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment also improves symptoms, though there is no cure.
Elsewhere in her video on Thursday, Dion said that she has "no choice but to concentrate" on her health as she adjusts to a new normal.
"I miss you so much," she said to her fans. "I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you. I always give a hundred percent when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now.
"For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment. And I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery. This is my focus and I'm doing everything that I can to recuperate."
"I want to thank you so much for your wishes and love and support on my social media," she concluded. "This means a lot to me. Take care of yourselves. Be well. I love you guys so much and I really hope I can see you again real soon."
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more