Celine Dion reveals rare neurological disorder diagnosis, cancels 2023 tour in emotional video
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Celine Dion has revealed in an emotional video that she's been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition that has forced her to cancel her upcoming 2023 Courage World Tour dates.
"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 I've been going through," the 54-year-old singer said Thursday in an Instagram video. "Recently I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome [SPS], which affects something like one in a million people."
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, the spasm affects 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."
Dion — who previously postponed her 2022 Courage concert dates over "persistent" medical issues — confirmed that the diagnosis means she won't be able restart the tour in Europe as planned.
"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 hope," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "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. I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you."
She concluded, "I always give 100 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."
In addition to halting her Courage tour in January 2022, Dion's "severe and persistent muscle spasms" delayed the singer's planned return to her Las Vegas residency in October 2021.
ALICE CHICHE/AFP via Getty Images Celine Dion has announced that she has stiff-person syndrome and canceled her 2023 tour dates.
According to Yale Medicine, SPS is an autoimmune and neurological disorder that leads to rigidity and spasms in the torso and limbs.
Dion initially began her Courage tour in Canada in September 2019, and continued through to a pair of performances in New Jersey in March 2020. She was set to relaunch the tour in Prague in February ahead of an eight-month run through Europe.
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