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Celine Dion's older sister Claudette has given an update on the singer's debilitating experience with the neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).
“She works hard, but she has no control over her muscles,” Claudette Dion told Canada's 7 Jours, according to the Chron. “What breaks my heart is that she was always disciplined. She always worked hard. Our mother always told her, 'You're going to do it well, you're going to do it right.'”
Last December, the 55-year-old “My Heart Will Go On” singer announced that she had been diagnosed with an incurable neurological disease and was canceling her upcoming tour dates.
Then, in May, Dion had to cancel the remaining dates of her world tour. The Canadian musician said she was “working really hard to get her strength back.”
She added: “I’m so sorry to disappoint you all again. It's not fair to you to keep postponing shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it's best if we cancel everything now until I'm truly ready to be on stage again.”
However, in the new interview, Dion's sister downplayed the possibility of her going back on tour. “It is true that in both our dreams and theirs the goal is to return to the stage,” she said. “How much? I don't know.”
Celine Dion performs during the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Claudette Dion added that due to the rarity of the disease, there is little research into a cure: “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what gets me. Because it’s one in a million cases, scientists didn’t do as much research because it didn’t affect as many people.”
She added that Céline and her family remain hopeful: “Some people have lost hope because it is a disease that is not very well known. If only you knew how many calls the foundation receives about Celine! People tell us they love her and are praying for her. She receives so many messages, gifts and blessed crucifixes.”
SPS is an autoimmune and neurological disorder that causes stiffness in the trunk and limbs. Symptoms also include muscle spasms, which affect Dion's ability to sing and perform and can be triggered by environmental stimuli (such as loud noises) or emotional stress.
You can find more information about stiff person syndrome here.