Celine Dion has been suffering from muscle spasms for awhile now. The spasms have been so bad that she canceled the remainder of her North American tour. She was still hopeful that she would be able to go on tour as scheduled in Europe.
Earlier today, Dion turned to Instagram to make the sad announcement that she is also canceling her European tour. She explained, “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…It hurts me to tell you that I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”
Dion held back tears, and her voice wavered as she broke the news to fans that she wouldn’t be able to perform for them as originally planned. She said how much she misses performing saying, “All I know is singing. It’s what I’ve done all my life, and it’s what I love to do the most.” She added, “I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now.”
In addition to announcing the cancelation of her European tour, Dion also revealed the name of the disorder that is preventing her from performing. It’s called Stiff Person Syndrome. She explained, “Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome which affects something like one in a million people. While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all the spasms I’ve been having.”
Dion explained that she is “hopeful” that she will make a full recovery, and she thanked her doctors who are helping her recuperate. She also thanked her children for their support, and she thanked her fans for their “love and support on social media.”
Instead of focusing on touring, Dion is putting her focus on her health. She explained that her entire focus right now is on trying to make a full recovery.
Watch her entire announcement about her health condition and her tour cancelation in the video below.
According to Yale Medicine, Stiff Person Syndrome is an autoimmune and neurological disorder that makes muscles in the limbs and torso at times stiff and at other times have spasms. The cause of the disorder is not yet known. People with the disorder may have trouble walking. They may also experience depression and anxiety due to the stressful nature of the disease.
Do you think Dion will be able to make a full recovery and tour once again? Does it surprise you that she canceled her North American tour?