Celine Dion’s family said they are “praying for a miracle” amid the superstar singer’s battle with a rare neurological disease that has forced her to cancel the rest of her “Courage” world tour dates.
The 55-year-old singer’s sister, Claudette Dion, spoke to Hello! Canada about how the “Power of Love” hitmaker was doing after being diagnosed in December with Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), a progressive disease that leaves its victims as “human statues” who cannot walk or talk.
“She’s doing everything to recover,” Claudette said. “She’s a strong woman.”
“It’s an illness we know so little about,” she added. “There are spasms – they’re impossible to control. You know [how] people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s a bit like that, but in all muscles.”
“There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain,” Dion’s sister continued.
On the cover of the print version of the magazine quoted her sister saying, “I know her spirits are up because we hear it in her voice.” Another quote that read, “We pray for a miracle.”
Celine Dion ‘praying for a miracle’ amid health battle, ‘doing everything she can to recover’: sister https://t.co/3HHLymvAsS pic.twitter.com/wHt7QgUGyX
— Page Six (@PageSix) September 1, 2023
“We’re crossing our fingers that researchers will find a remedy for this awful illness,” Claudette told the outlet. “And she knows fans feel the same way, too.”
“They love Celine,” she added. “Not only for the voice she has, but also for the human being she is. For the woman she has become, for the mother she has become. We love her for the person she is.”
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Last year, the “All By Myself” singer and mother of three revealed her diagnosis after canceling several of her concerts.
“Hello, everyone,” Dion said. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person. As you know I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before but I’m ready now.”
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she added. “Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff-person syndrome which affects one in a million people.”
She concluded her post noting that as much as it hurts her, she must concentrate on her health and cancel the remaining tour dates for North America.