Celine Dion has been living with stiff person syndrome for 17 years
The singer is sharing new details about her years long battle with stiff person syndrome...
Celine Dion has revealed how battling with an incurable syndrome has affected her career and personal life.
The 56-year-old, who has been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, opened up about her health struggles in a new interview on 'TODAY'.
Celine first told her fans about the rare autoimmune neurological disorder in 2022 when she was forced to postpone several performances.
Speaking to Hoda Kotb, the 'My Heart Will Go On' hitmaker says she has been keeping her illness a secret for nearly two decades.
She decided to speak out because not telling the truth became too much of a burden.
"I could not do this anymore...We did not know what was going on. I did not take the time, I should have stopped [and] taken the time to figure it out," she said.
At the time, she was also helping take care of her late husband René Angélil, who was battling cancer.
"My husband was fighting for his own life. I had to raise my kids. I had to hide. I had to try to be a hero. Feeling my body leaving me, holding onto my own dreams. And the lying for me was, the burden was too much.”
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In an exclusive interview with TODAY, singer Celine Dion reveals why she decided to come forward with her diagnosis for stiff person syndrome. "I could not do this anymore," she says, adding, "Lying for me, the burden was too much." pic.twitter.com/LJvUrcFjpO
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 10, 2024
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Celine was first diagnosed with the syndrome, which causes uncontrollable spasms and muscle stiffness, in 2007.
"'It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx."
Celion adds that the spasms affect several parts of her body, including her throat, spine, and fingers.
"'I have broken ribs at one point because sometimes, when it’s very severe, it can break some ribs as well,' she said.
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HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Follow us on social media:
· TikTok
Main image credit: YouTube/TODAY