Legendary performer Celine Dion said today, with tears in her eyes, that she has an untreatable illness and must quit all appearances. She has an illness that, among other things, makes her stiff as a statue. What then is this illness? The term “Stiff-person Syndrome” refers to a rare neurological condition that resembles an autoimmune disease. SPS is characterized by varying levels of muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs as well as an increased sensitivity to stimuli including noise, touch, and emotional distress that can cause muscle spasms. The disease is characterized by abnormal postures, which are frequently slumped over and inflexible.
Women are twice as likely to develop SPS as men. It frequently co-occurs with autoimmune conditions such as thyroiditis, vitiligo, diabetes, and pernicious anemia. Although studies suggest that SPS is the result of an immunological reaction that went wrong in the brain and spinal cord, the exact origin of SPS is still unknown.
WAPO reported:
Celine Dion announced that she was diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological condition known as stiff-person syndrome and that she will cancel or postpone dozens of shows in her “Courage World Tour.”
In an emotional, five-minute Instagram video posted Thursday, Dion, 54, told fans: “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, 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,” she continued.
“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having. 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.”
You can watch the video below:
Celine Dion announces she's been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome pic.twitter.com/rn1J6mTgHI
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 8, 2022
As you can imagine, her fans are heartbroken over this. I was honored to see Celine Dion in concert once, and she was amazing.
Nobody worked harder for their fans than she did. She was a tireless workhorse.
We wish her well, and hope that she can find some “balance” and live a safe and healthy life.
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