Celine Dion says she's 'determined' to return to stage after stiff-person syndrome diagnosis: 'We can do it!'

The singer, who canceled her recent tour because of health issues, called trying to overcome the disorder "one of the hardest experiences of my life."

Céline Dion celebrated International Stiff-Person Syndrome Awareness Day on Thursday by setting her goals for the future. 

The Grammy-winning singer, who was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder in 2022, posted a photo of her with her three sons on Instagram to raise awareness for stiff-person syndrome, for which there is no current cure, and thanked fans for their continued love and support on her health journey. 

“Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible,” Dion wrote. “I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team, and all of you!”

"I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS,” she continued. “I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!”

Stiff-person syndrome is an autoimmune and neurological disorder that leads to rigidity and spasms in the torso and limbs, according to Yale Medicine. Dion announced that she’d been diagnosed with the condition, which she said “affects something like one in a million people,” in an emotional video published in 2022.

After postponing performances due to medical issues, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer announced the following year that she would be canceling her 2024 Courage World Tour as a result of her continued health problems.

"I'm so sorry to disappoint all of you once again," she said at the time. "I'm working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you're 100 percent. It's not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it's best that we cancel everything now until I'm really ready to be back on stage again."

Since her diagnosis, Dion has largely kept out of the public eye, but she recently took to the stage to present an award to Taylor Swift at the 2024 Grammys. However, in an interview with French-Canadian publication 7 Jours last December, Dion's sister Claudette questioned if she'd be able to return to the stage because she "doesn't have control over her muscles."

“It’s true that, in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? I don’t know,” Claudette said. “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what comes to get me. Because [Dion’s condition is a] one-out-of-a-million case, the scientists haven’t done that much research because it didn’t affect that many people.”

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