A Glimpse Into Celine Dion's Legendary Career And Brutal Health Battle At 55 Years Old

On December 8th, the Canadian star said she suffers from Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), which affects one in a million people.

SPS causes her spasms every day of her life, even affecting her voice, so she ended up postponing her spring and summer European tour from 2023 to 2024 in hopes of a recovery. She said she really wanted to return to the stages, but it's not possible right now.

Dion stated that she's been dealing with her health for a long time, but she wasn't ready to speak publicly about it until then, so she decided to be transparent with her fans, who filled her with encouraging words.

"Unfourtantly, the spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords in the way I'm used to," Dion explained in her video.

SPS has no cure; however, the singer's doing everything on her hands to reduce the symptoms to control her life. The disease makes the person a "human statue" as they become increasingly rigid until they can no longer do regular daily tasks, like walking or talking.

SPS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which means the difficulties only get worse over time, even making the patient use a wheelchair and need help to eat. The disease has no known cause, but it is believed to be an autoimmune condition.

She added, "I have a great team of doctors working beside me to make me feel better and my amazing children, who are supporting me and giving me hope," before explaining that she's working hard to regain her strength.

Dion has suffered a rough path since her husband, René Angélil, and her brother, Daniel, passed away from cancer in 2016. Still, she has remained strong and today celebrated her 55th birthday surrounded by doctors.

She hasn't been seen outside much since she shared her diagnosis, and even though she's currently in the headlines due to her condition, there have been many remarkable moments throughout her 40 years of career.

Celine was born in Quebec, Canada, and since she was little, she always dreamed of becoming a huge star. It wasn't until she was 12 years old that she recorded her first single, in French, Ce N'était Q'un Rêve, and with it, she made the first contact with her future husband and manager, René Angélil.

By 14 years old, she was already a national pop star and the role model of thousands of Canadian teens, and in the 90s, she became a worldwide recognizable name. In 1994, she married the love of her life, René, and in 2001 welcomed their first child.

Celine Dion has sold over 200 million copies across the world, but she's also a sixteen-time Grammy Award nominee, receiving five of them, a two-time Oscar winner, and a Billboard Award Icon.

My Heart Will Go On, perhaps her most famous song was responsible for her Oscar and Grammy achievements. The song was the soundtrack for Titanic, the 1997 box office smash hit starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and was number one worldwide. She even performed an unforgettable version of it at the 1998 Oscar ceremony.

Funny enough, she almost doesn't record the song because she thought it was inappropriate for her to sing. However, her husband and manager convinced her to give it an opportunity, and Celine recorded a demo, which then turned into the song.

She is part of the list of names that had the honor to host a Las Vegas residency, such as Elvis Presley, Elton John, or Cher. The residency started in 2011, in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, counted with nine stages that resulted in an average of 70 shows per year until 2019.

Of course, Dion is also a fashion icon. Her appearances on the red carpet became something people longed for, and she always knew how to shine and outstand every other celebrity. The diva worked with important names in the business, such as Law Roach and, more recently, Pepe Muñoz.

Sometimes, people were confused about what she wore, but that didn't mean everyone would forget about her, as she was remembered for those bold choices.

The artist may not have released any new music since 2019, but that didn't stop her from trending on TikTok last year. It's All Coming Back To Me Now climbed the charts after everyone created their own video to the song.

Despite her health issues, she will appear in the upcoming movie Love Again, along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan, which is excellent news for her fans since new songs will be featured in the film.