Celine Dion says that she has kept the disease a secret for a long time for this reason

PHOTO: GETTY

From frequent accounts, Celine Dion seems to have been an open book when it comes to her battle with SPS (Stiff Person Syndrome). But, in fact, it was not like that! In a recent interview, the singer speaking to the journalist Hoda Kotb for "Today" said that she initially kept the diagnosis of the disease a secret, until it began to worsen the condition of her heart health.

In the interview, Dion revealed that she began experiencing the first signs of the disease in 2008, while on the Taking Chances world tour. But her condition would worsen over time until the artist decided to speak publicly about the disease in 2022.

Ultimately, the pressure to hide the illness became too much, as Dion was also dealing with her late husband being treated for throat cancer. "My husband was also fighting for his life," she said. "I had to raise my children, I had to hide. I had to try to be just a hero.”

Some of the singer's fears at that time were related to the feeling of letting go that her body was giving her following her dreams of art and music. But while she was bravely trying to behave normally on stage and in relation to people and the media, it seems that there came a point when the pain and problems were overwhelming her and it became impossible to keep the illness hidden.

PHOTO: GETTY

"I couldn't do this anymore," she told the reporter. "Lying to me has been one of the hardest things that has ever happened to me, as lying to the people who have brought me to where I am today for career or fame was just too much. I couldn't do it anymore, Dion added.

In addition to battling the physical problems of the disease, from rib pain to the physical inability to stand, Celine explained that trying to sing in this condition was a suffocating sensation. "It's like someone is squeezing your throat, but you just can't make a sound," she concludes.

But what is "Stiff Person Syndrome" (SPS)?

SPS is a rare neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease. This syndrome occurs in 1 in 1 million cases and is a matter of muscle stiffness. SPS is characterized by muscle sensitivity and uncontrolled movement after any stimulus, be it noise, touch, stress, etc. The disease can go so far that movement or speech becomes impossible. For the diagnosis of Celine Dion there is no specific cure, but only treatments that can slow down the development of the disease.

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Source: Instyle