Pop megastar Celine Dion, who suffers from a rare neurological disease, said in an Instagram post that she is looking forward to returning to the stage.
Dion, 55, first revealed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS), which causes stiffness in the muscles of the torso, arms and legs, with noise or emotional stress known to trigger spasms.
"Trying to overcome this autoimmune disease has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day return to the stage and live as normal a life as possible," Dion said in a post late Friday to mark International SPS Awareness Day.
"I want to send my encouragement and support to all the people around the world who have been affected by SPS. I want you to know that you can cope! We can handle it!" added the Grammy winner and performer of hits like "My Heart Will Go On" and "Because You Loved Me."
"I am deeply grateful for the love and support of my children, family, team and all of you!" she added in the post, accompanied by a photo of her smiling broadly and posing with her three sons.
There is no cure for stiff person syndrome, which is progressive, but treatment can help control symptoms. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, SPS affects twice as many women as men.
Last May, Dion was forced to cancel a series of concerts planned for 2023 and 2024, saying she was not strong enough to tour.
The last time Dion appeared in public was at the Grammy Awards in February, when she made a surprise appearance to present Taylor Swift with the album of the year award.
In January, Dion announced that she would be making a feature-length documentary about her condition, which will air on Amazon Prime Video to help raise public awareness
Over her decade-long career, Dion has sold more than 250 million albums. The Quebec-born star's Courage World Tour began in 2019. Dion had completed 52 shows before the Covida-19 pandemic stopped the rest. /BGNES
