Celine Dion decided to attend a public event for the first time in over three years. The 55-year-old singer, who announced in December 2022 that she was suffering from what is called stiff person syndromeattended a hockey game in Las Vegas with her three children.

Canadian singer Celine Dion attended a public event again after more than three years without being seen in an event. The 55-year-old interpreter was present this Monday, October 30 in the evening at a hockey game in Las Vegas. She was accompanied by his three children, René-Charles (22 years old) and twins Nelson and Eddy (13 years old), who supported her in this very special moment.

Cèline Dion, who announced in December 2022 on Instagram that she was suffering from stiff person syndromehas stayed away from the spotlight and stage for years, which is why this appearance was so special.

The singer attended the game between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens, a team she went to support with her family.

“My boys and I had a really fun time visiting the Montreal Canadiens after their hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. They played great!! Thanks for joining us after the game, guys ! It was memorable for all of us. “Have a good season!”, wrote the interpreter, sharing a series of photos on Instagram with the team in the locker room.

The singer made this publication a few hours after Chantal Machabée, vice-president of communications for the Canadian team, published an image of the two of them in the locker room on her profile on this social network. “From the big visit to our match yesterday in Las Vegas. Thank you Cèline Dion for your great generosity. The whole team was very happy to meet you and your family,” Machabée wrote.

Cèline Dion and her children spent 45 minutes in the locker room chatting with the team, alternating between French and English. “It was very beautiful, resplendent. He talked a lot, made a lot of jokes. It was a beautiful evening for Céline. It was really fun. […] We were very moved to see her like this, to see her clearly,” said Chantal Machabée. The Quebec Journal.

What is stiff person syndrome?

In December 2022, the singer canceled her tour after being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (PRS)a rare neurological disease for which there is no treatment and which has conditioned his life in recent years.

“Now we know this is what caused all the spasms I had,” he noted in the video posted to Instagram, in which he details how these spasms affect his life. “Sometimes they prevent me from walking and don’t allow me to use my vocal cords like I used to.”

Stiff person syndrome is a central nervous system disorder which, according to the mayo clinic, It is characterized by progressive and intense stiffness or numbness of the muscle. It mainly affects the spine and legs and can also cause painful muscle spasms.

“It is often associated with muscle spasms, which can be quite severe. These can cause falls, severe pain and significant disability.“says Dr. Emile Sami Moukheiber of the Stiff Person Syndrome Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine to an interview with CNN. “Falls due to severe spasms are very common. These spasms can be precipitated by shocks, strong emotions, cold,” adds the expert.

According to this expert, it is common for people with rigid person syndrome to also suffer from anxiety, “and this anxiety actually feeds into the physical conditions of the illness that people may suffer from.”

A complicated diagnosis

Celine Dion said in her video that she “has been dealing with health issues for a long time,” and the truth is that all of these issues could have to do with this disease.

Stiff person syndrome, presenting characteristics of an autoimmune disease, It takes a long time to diagnose due to its rarity and the ambiguity of its symptoms.. CNN reports that sufferers often seek treatment for chronic pain before receiving neurological care and that diagnosis takes about seven years.

Stiff person syndrome affects a million people worldwide and most neurologists encounter one or two cases during their professional career. Although the first case was diagnosed in a man in 1950, it is known to affect twice as many women as men.

PR has no cure or specific treatment, but medications can relieve symptoms. “If left untreated, the disease can lead to a serious deterioration in daily life,” says Moukheiber of the Stiff Person Syndrome Center, who emphasizes that with treatment the person can improve.

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