Popular Canadian singer, Celine Dion, has shared her harrowing struggles with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that has left her feeling like she’s ‘being strangled’ and ‘unable to move’.
In a candid interview with NBC News, the 56-year-old revealed the devastating impact of the disease on her health, including excruciating cramps, broken ribs, and muscle spasms that leave her feeling locked in place.
Celine Dion described the sensation of having her larynx and pharynx constricted, making it impossible to sing or even speak in her signature powerful voice.
“It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx. It was like talking like that, and you cannot go high or lower,” she said.
“It feels like, if I point my feet, they will stay in (that position). Or, if I cook – because I love to cook – my fingers, my hands, will get in position … It’s cramping but it’s like in a position where you cannot unlock them.
“I have broken ribs at one point because sometimes when its very severe, it can break”, she said.
Celine Dion was diagnosed of Stiff Person Syndrome syndrome, a rare neurological disease in 2022.
Despite the challenges, Dion remains determined to not let the disease define her, and is learning to manage and live with it.