Due to health issues, Céline Dion has had to put her international following on pause. Her concert tour dates until April 2024 were canceled after she was given the stiff-person syndrome diagnosis.
The 55-year-old announced last Thursday that she cannot “successfully prepare for and perform the remainder” of her planned tour.
Now, a recent article has given some light on the choice, highlighting that it was made with the interests of her devoted followers in mind.
She intends to resume touring, but for now, the My Heart Will Go On singer is putting her health first.
The singer couldn’t keep canceling gigs since it wasn’t fair to the audience, highlighting Celine’s continuous commitment to her fans.
These revelations happened immediately after Celine apologized to her fans in front of the public during the social media announcement of her cancellation. She told her devoted global fan base she is “not giving up” with unwavering tenacity.
Celine is still fighting a medical problem identified as impairing her performance. Some reassurance was provided by a post on her social media platforms that read: “Céline is working hard on her recovery.”
The statement said, “We do have every hope that Céline will be able to come to all of these cities in Europe someday soon to perform for her amazing fans, but that time is simply not now.” It was also stated that “Céline’s medical team continues to evaluate and treat the condition.”
Dion’s persistence was evident even after she announced with a broken heart that she would have to postpone 42 dates of her Courage World Tour. She announced, “I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” as she jumped back into the stage, on Twitter: “- Celine xx.
In December, the queen of power ballads revealed that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare and fatal neurological condition that causes severe muscle spasms. She had to postpone and cancel a couple of future gigs due to this information.
Dion shared her difficulty in a candid Instagram post, saying, “I’ve had health issues for a long time, and it’s been really hard for me to face these challenges and talk about everything I’ve been through.”
According to the Stiff Person Syndrome Foundation, the brain and spinal cord are the primary targets of Celine’s disease. The patient may be “disabled, wheelchair-bound or bedridden, unable to work and care for themselves.”
Hyper-rigidity,” “debilitating pain,” “chronic anxiety,” and muscular spasms severe enough to dislocate joints or even break bones are some of the symptoms of the neurological disorder with autoimmune aspects.
Celine said her spasms make it “harder for me to walk and prevent me from using my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”
Despite her struggle, she continues to be grateful for her followers’ constant support. Three months after disclosing her diagnosis, she thanked everyone for their birthday wishes in March. She said on her Instagram Story, “Thanks to everyone for the birthday messages,” adding, “I felt this huge wave of love.”