Celine Dion opens up about urge to 'be a hero' and pursue passion amid first encounter with stiff person syndrome during 2008 world tour

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Celine Dion, the iconic singer known for her powerful voice has opened up about her harrowing experience with stiff person syndrome (SPS) during her 2008 world tour, as reported by The Daily Mail.

The condition, characterized by painful muscle spasms and rigidity, profoundly affected Dion's ability to perform and left her grappling with uncertainty about her health and career.

Celine Dion recounts struggles with Stiff Person Syndrome during 2008 tour

In a moment captured in her 2010 documentary 'Celine: Through the Eyes,' Dion recounted her initial symptoms as she shared with doctors that she experienced vocal spasms and cold-like symptoms while on tour, severely affecting her performances.

In a video captured during the tour, Celine, then 40, is seen saying, "My main problem now is my neck, I cannot relax my neck so I cannot relax my vocal cords so I cannot vocal exercise well."

"My main problem is not that I can't do the highs, I'm spasming, my eyebrows are spasming, my ears. I tell you I'm gonna flip soon, I'm telling you."

During a team meeting, Celine expressed concerns about breathlessness while meeting fans and handling the tour's demands. “I was spasmed up too much, I couldn't finish a phrase," Celine says. She adds that despite this “I went on with the show."

"And when I sang "I drove all night for the first time" it was (out of tune)" I drove all night" right there. Yesterday night after doing everything I was spitting out mucus."

Backstage, Celine confides to her dancers, "I feel like I've lost my voice," shocking them. "It's weird, it's closing, and I'm struggling," she says adding how she is “really having a hard time.”

In another documentary clip, she becomes emotional, expressing frustration over her diagnosis affecting her career and fan connection.

The singer compared herself to an apple tree whose branches are starting to fall. “Sometimes those branches get crooked and those branches are starting to produce a little less apples," she tells the camera.

"But there's still as many people in line, I don't want them to wait in line if I don't have apples for them,” she continues.       

The Grammy-winning artist admitted to hiding her condition for 17 years,        struggling to maintain her rigorous schedule. "I had to lie," Dion confessed, explaining how she adjusted her singing technique to cope with the symptoms.

Celine had been absent from public performances since March 2020, focusing instead on raising her three sons. However, she has also been working on a new Amazon Prime documentary titled 'I Am Celine Dion,' which explores her health struggles.

Celine Dion first noticed issues during her 2008 tour 

In a recent NBC News interview with Hoda Kotb, Celine revealed she first noticed issues during her 2008 tour.

"I was on the Taking Chances world tour. I was in Germany and I was fine and I had breakfast and then my voice started to go high, then it felt like I could not control it. I could not control anything,” she said describing the moment of helplessness.

"I had to find a path," Celine said. 'It was squeezed. So I said I was just going to do two songs. Normally I sing for almost an hour or 45 minutes for sound check. It's like somebody's strangling you. It's like someone is pushing your larynx right this way."

Celine recounted how her voice began to tighten up. Initially, she attributed it to overworking. "But that thing is it was different, It was more spasmodic than something cold."

During her 2008 tour, Celine revealed she began losing control of her voice, feeling scared and panicked. "I asked my sound man if I could do the show," she says revealing her fear.

"I don't know what's happening. And then you panic and the more you panic, the more you spasm," she adds.

"I had to lie. We did not know what was going on,” she says adding she regretted not stopping at that time and continued say, “I didn't take time to figure it out. My husband was also fighting for his life."

Five years after Celine's initial symptoms appeared, her husband and manager, Rene Angelil, faced cancer again. During this time, Celine prioritized being by his side.

"I had to hide," Celine said. "I had to try to be a hero. I became a nurse. I became his supporter. I had to protect my kids. Practice my passion."

Rene passed away in 2016 at 59, and just two days later, Celine's 73-year-old brother Daniel also succumbed to cancer.

Internet reacts to Celine Dion's battle with rare Syndrome

One user empathizes with Dion, attributing her health challenges to the profound grief she has experienced from losing both her mother and husband saying, "All her problems stem from grief. Her life revolved around her mother and her husband. They have both died and this is how her grief is manifesting itself. My mother developed an auto-immune disease after my father died. She ultimately died from it. Grief manifests itself in many, many ways, and yes, can be paralysing…." 

Another user expresses sympathy for Dion's plight, noting "Life can be so cruel, she has a naturally gifted voice and music is obviously her life along with pleasing her fans. I wish her well and hope someone finds a cure one day for all who suffer from this awful condition."

A third user wrote, "For better or worse I will remain a fan for all the pleasure and memories of her ability to entertain. I wish her well!!!"

"She needs to address her nutrition and rest. She's spent years pushing her physical boundaries and now her body is pushing back" a user said.

"My heart breaks for her as she struggles with this horrible disease." another user wrote.

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