Celine Dion donates $2M to Colorado hospital to 'move the field forward' in stiff person syndrome research

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Celine Dion is not only trying to get herself better following her stiff person syndrome (SPS) diagnosis but is also funding research. 

It has been revealed that the 56-year-old songstress has donated $2 million to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus where her doctor Dr Amanda Piquet is researching the cure for the autoimmune disease. 

Dr Piquet recently revealed to CBS News that the ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer has made a generous donation in the field of research. 

Celine Dion donated $2 million for SPS research 

Dr Piquet, the director of Autoimmune Neurology at CU Anschutz, said in the interview, “I am just incredibly honored to receive this recognition to move the field forward with this research.”

She explained, “Stiff person syndrome is a progressive autoimmune neurological disorder that is characterized by two cardinal features – muscle spasms and stiffness,” adding that it can “take years to get a diagnosis.”

However, she added, “The average time frame is seven years,” for a diagnosis, per Daily Mail.

In the interview, Dr Piquet further delved into the way how she became the physician of the Canadian songstress.

“She happened to find us,” revealed the doctor while adding, “It was a great relationship, and we worked really hard with her managing those symptoms, getting her on a good treatment pathway.”

Dr Piquet continued, “There are no FDA-approved therapies for this disease. We often use immune therapies, and symptomatic therapies to manage the disease.”

The doctor further explained, “We will also do things like physical therapy, massage therapy, and in Celine's case vocal therapy to help manage the symptoms.”

Previously, the ‘All By Myself’ singer praised her doctor in the new documentary ‘I Am: Celine Dion’, gushing, “She has replaced my fear with hope.”

Celine Dion reveals facets of her diagnosis in documentary

‘The Power of Love’ singer first revealed her SPS diagnosis in December 2022, writing on her social media, “It has been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through.”

She added, “Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff person syndrome, which affects one in a million people,” noting, “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," she continued.

“Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to,” shared Dion, per Daily Mail.

Ever since, the ‘I’m Alive’ singer has been giving her health updates to her fans who have been waiting with bated breath for her return to the stage. 

In the Amazon Prime Video documentary, Dion also discussed losing control over her body and documented the time when she had a ten-minute-long seizure. 

The songstress shared, “I don't know how to express it, like, it's just … you know, like, to not have control of yourself?"

After having her first brush with SPS in 2008, Dion has been dealing with the debilitating condition associated with the syndrome. While she is often wrought helpless by painful muscle spasms, in one instance, the songstress experienced a full-body seizure after a medical evaluation. 

Dion, however, has been facing her neurological conditions heroically and has been making public appearances of late. 

Not only did she go to the Grammy Awards in 2024 to hand Taylor Swift the Album of the Year award, but she also walked the red carpet for the premiere of her Amazon Prime documentary with her son Rene-Charles.