It is fair to say that Dion has endured a hugely difficult time over the last few years, having been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in 2022, which has forced her to postpone and cancel tours.
In a snippet from her new documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, the My Heart Will Go On singer has explained what it is like to live with this incurable syndrome.
Revealing that she first encountered problems whilst having breakfast one morning, Dion said: “Seventeen years ago I started to experience some voice spasming, this is the way it started. I woke up one morning and I had my breakfast, and after having my breakfast, my voice started to go up".
Dion continued: “It freaked me out a little bit, because normally when you’re tired as a singer because you did a show the night before, your voice would go roughly half a key down or one note down".
“I was scared, I didn’t know what to do".
Sharing details of what Stiff Person Syndrome entails, Dion added: “It’s in the muscle, it’s in the tendons, it’s in the nerves. You can’t see anything, because it’s not seeable".
The singer also described how she “couldn’t walk”, and was in a "lot of pain" adding: “I can’t use my voice yet".
As she became visibly emotional, Celine Dion said: “Music… I miss it a lot. But also, the people. I miss them. When I try to breathe, my lungs are fine; it’s what is in front of my lungs that’s so rigid, because of Stiff Person Syndrome".
Whilst crying, Celine Dion added: “That’s what happens and it’s very difficult for me to show this to you. I think I was very good… I think I had some stuff that was amazing".
I Am: Celine Dion, will air to Prime Video next week (June 25).
