Celine Dion has stiff-person syndrome and “has no control of her muscles”

After Celine Dion canceled all her tour dates earlier this year because of a diagnosis of a rare neurological disease, Dion’s family shared that the singer “has no control of her muscles.”

Diagnosed with Moersch-Woltman syndrome more commonly known as stiff-person syndrome in May this year, the 55-year-old singer stepped away from her performance career. Her sister Claudette Dion said that the disorder has affected Dion’s ability to walk and sing, and now she has no control of her muscles.

“There are some who have lost hope because that it is a disease that is not known,” Claudette, said to the French publication 7 Jours.

Claudette said the family’s dream is for Dion to return to the stage but with the unpredictability of the disease that may prove to be a challenge. “Vocal cords are muscles, but so is the heart. That’s what gets to me. Because it’s one in a million case, scientists don’t have that much research on the topic, because it didn’t affect that many people,” she said.

In 2021, Dion postponed her Las Vegas residency because of what she said was “severe and persistent” muscle spasms and said she was “heartbroken by this.”

Dion is a title holder for one of the most successful concert residencies of all time, two of her residencies have grossed $681 million over a 16-year stint, playing more than 1000 shows.