Céline Dion celebrated International Stiff Person Syndrome Day amidst her battle with the disorder by sharing a rare photo of her children.
“Today the world recognizes International SPS Awareness Day,” Dion, 55, wrote via Instagram on Friday, March 15, alongside a photo of the singer with her three sons. “As many of you know, in the fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). 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.”
She continued, “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. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!” (SPS is a rare neurological disorder that causes spasms, affecting one’s muscles and vocal cords.)
Alongside the caption was a rare photo of Dion and her three sons — René-Charles Angélil, 23, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 13 — whom she shared with her late husband René Angélil, who died in 2016.
In December 2022, Dion shared that health issues had led her to postpone several upcoming performances. “I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” Dion said in an emotional video at the time. “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 that I’ve been going through.”
Despite this, Dion plans to return to the stage again. “Céline is a fighter. She doesn’t have as much control over her muscles as she did before, but she’s working with doctors and physical therapists to get better,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2023. “Céline has been taking time to focus on her health but plans to take the stage again once she is given the go-ahead by her medical team.”
The singer has stepped out of the spotlight since her diagnosis as she takes the time to heal. That didn’t stop her from making a surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammys Awards in February when she took to the stage to present the award for Album of the Year to Taylor Swift.
“She has her good and bad days,” an insider exclusively revealed to Us Weekly last month, adding that Dion has been “doing lots of physical therapy and voice exercises” since her diagnosis. A second source informed Us that Dion’s diagnosis has “empowered her and changed her mindset.”
