Celine Dion Postpones Tour After Being Diagnosed With Stiff Person Syndrome
"I always give 100 percent when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now," said the singer in a tearful message.
EntertainmentMusic

In a stunning, emotional video, Celine Dion announced that she has a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome and will be unable to tour as planned. The clip, which runs longer than five minutes and features Dion holding back tears as she speaks directly to camera, was posted to her Instagram on Thursday. (The French-Canadian singer also uploaded a version of the announcement in French.)
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,” she said. “Recently I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people.”
Jon Hopkins places the prevalence of SPS at “about one or two in a million people.” The autoimmune disease, according to the National Institutes of Health, “is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Abnormal postures, often hunched over and stiffened, are characteristic of the disorder. People with SPS can be too disabled to walk or move, or they are afraid to leave the house because street noises, such as the sound of a horn, can trigger spasms and falls.”