Your voice will NOT go on forever

Celine Dion talks about her battle with crippling stiff-person syndrome, what it did to her and what she loves most – Music

Celine Dion talks about her struggle with stiff person syndrome in new documentary

I am Celine Dion Story: In 2021, singer Celine Dion canceled her concert tours to Las Vegas after years of battling an illness that began with strange symptoms like fluctuations in pitch and tone in her voice, to convulsions and ultimately her inability to perform. In this documentary, Celine talks about her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome and what it did to her.

Celine Dion’s sister publishes the long-awaited update on the singer’s health

Review of “I Am Celine Dion”: When your voice is your whole life and then you lose it, nothing can be more painful. Tragically, this has been the reality for the queen of ballads, Céline Dion, since she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare condition that attacks the nervous system and causes severe muscle spasms.

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In 2021, Celine had to cancel her concert appearance in Las Vegas to take time for rehabilitation, although an official public announcement about what was really wrong with her did not come until much later in 2022. Stiff Person Syndrome had brought Celine to the point where she could no longer walk, lost her balance, was in unbearable pain, and could no longer use her voice. When she breathed, she explains, her lungs were fine, but the muscles around them constricted and spasmed, making it impossible for her to do what she loved most – sing.

Trailer for “I Am Celine Dion” – From heartbreak to hope: The singer talks about her battle against stiff person syndrome

It’s not like the illness appeared almost overnight and overwhelmed her. No… Celine had struggled with the symptoms for nearly two decades, with early signs including vocal spasms and voice breaking. Those were scary times when she didn’t know what to do. The show had to go on, though, so she carried on, getting the audience to sing parts when she was unwell, feigning microphone problems, and more. Over the years, it also meant she had to take very high doses of medication just to be able to function.

But then came the point where she couldn’t take it anymore. The lies had to stop and she had to really take care of herself. Celine has a team of experts, including a sports doctor, to guide her through her rehabilitation and she has made some progress.

Celine’s dream was to be an international star and to be able to sing her whole life. Well, the becoming a global superstar part has come true and how, but whether she can sing forever remains a question. Since her diagnosis, Celine has recorded new music for the film Love Again. Her voice is not what it once was, which is hard not only for those who grew up with her music, but for herself as well. It took her a lot of effort to get these songs out there and there were versions that were hard even for her to hear.

The multiple Grammy winner is hoping for a triumphant return to music, to the stage, to people – all of which she misses terribly. But the absolute tragedy of her condition is that it may remain just wishful thinking. Her condition is triggered by emotional reactions and other external stimuli such as bright lights, noise, etc., which are all part of life as a performing artist. There’s a particularly heartbreaking scene in the documentary when Celine has a bad fit, a seizure and unexplained pain, and her team almost calls 911. Her therapist explains that her nervous system was just kicking into overdrive, possibly triggered by a music session. “If I can’t get stimulated by what I love and go on stage, are you going to put a pulse oximeter on me and turn me on my back?” she asks when she comes through. “This is not the end of the journey,” she is assured.

Conclusion of the documentary “I Am Celine Dion”: “I Am Celine Dion” is especially hard to stomach if you grew up listening to Celine’s music and your knowledge of her discography extends well beyond the hit song from Titanic. Every time she gets teary-eyed or stifles a sniffle, you feel for her and what she’s lost, hoping against hope that she’ll bounce back.

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