Céline Dion might not know when she’ll next return to the stage, but her goal right now is to manage her illness well enough that she can visit the Eiffel Tower again.
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer, who revealed in 2022 that she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, spoke to Vogue France about her recent life and her thoughts on when she’ll be able to perform again.
“I don’t know… My body will tell me. On the other hand, I don’t just want to wait,” Dion told Vogue France. “It’s hard, I’m working very hard and tomorrow will be even harder. Tomorrow is another day. But there’s one thing that will never stop, and that’s the will. It’s the passion. It’s the dream. It’s the determination.”
Dion last toured in 2020, performing 52 shows of her Courage world tour in North America before rescheduling the remaining dates due to the pandemic. She eventually canceled the rest of the dates because of her health in May 2023.
“I haven’t beat the disease, as it’s still within me and always will be. I hope that we’ll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it,” Dion said.
Stiff-person syndrome is a neurological disorder that can cause symptoms such as muscle stiffness and spasms. It is a very rare disease that affects one in a million, according to one estimate.
While there is no cure for stiff-person syndrome, there are ways for patients to manage their condition. This includes medication as well as non-medication interventions such as stretching and massage therapy.
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Dion shared in the interview that she undergoes “athletic, physical, and vocal therapy” five days a week as part of her treatment plan.
“I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice,” Dion said.
Although it was initially difficult for her to come to terms with her diagnosis, the singer says she is learning to live with stiff-person syndrome.
“The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself,” Dion said.
“I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!” she added.
Celine Dion is one of the many celebrities speaking openly about navigating very difficult medical diagnoses.
Earlier this month, Shannen Doherty, 53, spoke about dealing with her Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis on her podcast. The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star said that she was getting rid of her material belongings so that she could focus on spending quality time with her mother.
“The cancer, for me, has really made me take stock of my life and shift my priorities, and my priority at the moment is my mom,” Doherty said. “I don’t want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with.”
Last week, Olivia Munn, 43, spoke to People about what it was like to undergo a double mastectomy due to breast cancer.
“I saw myself for the first time and I was in shock. It was incredibly hard,” Munn said. “And the doctor was telling me how fantastic it looked, which made it even harder because ‘fantastic’ is top. You don’t get better than fantastic, so I thought, ‘This doesn’t get better.'”
A representative for Dion did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.