Céline Dion is hoping for a miracle. The singer offered her first interview after being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome and maintained that her battle with the disease has not been easy, but she is continuing on with the treatment and has stopped questioning herself. As she says, she has to learn to live with the disease.
"I haven’t beat the disease, as it's still within me and always will be. I hope that we'll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now I have to learn to live with it. So that's me, now with Stiff Person Syndrome. Five days a week I undergo athletic, physical and vocal therapy. I work on my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice... I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself. At the beginning I would ask myself: why me? How did this happen? What have I done? Is this my fault?" Dion said in an exclusive interview for Vogue France.
According to the U.S. National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, stiff person syndrome is characterized by episodes of rigidity and muscle spasms in the trunk, arms and legs, resulting from an increased sensitivity to noise, touch, and as a startle response. People with the syndrome may also assume abnormal postures. The disease affects women more often than men.
'Life doesn't give you any answers'
Dion maintained that she decided to train her body and not let herself be affected by discouragement. In addition, she noted, her goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again. Currently, the artist lives in Las Vegas, near her office. Dion indicated that being so close to her work allows her to be around her team and teach, but at the same time gives her the opportunity to spend time with her family. "I have the best of both worlds."
Life doesn't give you any answers. You just have to live it! I have this illness for some unknown reason. The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself. I've chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!
Dion is determined to resume her career
Dion says that the support of her loved ones and her team has been essential to overcome the difficulty of receiving the diagnosis and to continue her fight against the disease. Furthermore, it is clear that having this support from family and professionals is key.
"Above all, the love of my family and my children, the love of the fans too, and the support of my team. People who suffer from SPS may not be lucky enough or have the means to have good doctors and good treatments. I have those means, and this is a gift. What's more, I have this strength within me. I know that nothing is going to stop me," highlighted the singer.
But, despite her efforts, something she cannot determine is when she will return to the stage. It is something she would like to announce soon, but she recognizes that it is not a decision that depends entirely on her. There are days when she has thought about not returning, but the will and passion keep her hopeful of fully resuming her career.
"I can't answer that… Because for four years I've been saying to myself that I'm not going back, that I'm ready, that I'm not ready... As things stand, I can't stand here and say to you: 'Yes, in four months' I don't know... My body will tell me. On the other hand, I don't just want to wait. It's morally hard to live from day to day. It's hard, I'm working very hard and tomorrow will be even harder. Tomorrow is another day. But there's one thing that will never stop, and that's the will. It's the passion. It's the dream. It's the determination," explained Dion.
