CNN
—
Celine Dion’s sister shared an update as the “Heart Will Go On” singer deals with a rare health issue.
“She is doing everything to recover,” said Dionne’s older sister, Claudette. Welcome! Canada Thursday. “She is a strong woman.”
The Grammy winner’s family is rallying around her as she battles stiff person syndrome, a rare disorder that causes involuntary muscle spasms.
“It’s a disease we know very little about,” Claudette said. “There are convulsions, and it is impossible to control them.
“There is not much we can do to support her and ease her pain,” she added.
Dion announced in December last year that she had been diagnosed with the syndrome, and that she had taken a leave of absence from her professional obligations to focus on her health.
While she announced new music in April and appeared in a film opposite Priyanka Chopra, a source close to Dion told CNN in late May that she would “probably never tour again.”
“We hope that researchers will find a cure for this terrible disease,” Claudette said this week.
The Canadian newspaper also said that Dion is staying in Las Vegas, where she is working with a team of doctors as well as a sports medicine therapist to regain her strength.
Future teen idol. Typical social media ninja. Alcohol buff. Explorer. Creator. Beer advocate.”