One year after revealing her diagnosis of a rare neurological disorder called "stiff person syndrome," Céline Dion no longer has control over her muscles.
In an interview with 7 Jours, the Canadian superstar's sister, Claudette Dion gave an update on Céline's condition.
“She’s working hard, but she doesn’t have control over her muscles. What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined,” Claudette told 7 Jours. “She’s always worked hard. Our mother always told her, ‘You’re going to do it well, you’re going to do it properly.'”
While Céline was forced to cancel the remaining dates on her Courage tour earlier this year, her sister added that in “both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage.”
Stiff person syndrome, which affects one out of every million people, is a rare, progressive disorder that currently has no cure and heavily impacts the person's mobility, including vocal cords.
“The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle," Claudette explained. "This is what comes to get me because it’s [a] one out of a million case, the scientists haven’t done that much research because it didn’t affect that many people.”
Still, the singer's family is holding out hope for a recovery, but appreciates all of the support and love that continues to pour in from Céline's fans.
“Some people have lost hope because it’s an illness that isn’t well known,” Claudette said. “If only you knew the number of phone calls the Foundation [Fondation Maman Dion] gets about Celine! People tell us they love her and they’re praying for her. She gets so many messages, presents and blessed crucifixes.”