WASHINGTON — Celine Dion's sister recently opened up about the star's ongoing battle with stiff-person syndrome.
In an interview with the French-Canadian outlet 7Jour, singer Claudette Dion revealed that her sister has lost "control of her muscles."
"There are some who have lost hope because it is a disease that is not known," Claudette said in an interview translated from French. "She works hard, but she doesn't have control of her muscles. What pains me is that she has always been disciplined. She has always worked hard."
In regard to the future of her sister's singing career, Claudette said she's uncertain of what that may look like.
"Of course, in our dreams and in hers, the idea is to come back on stage. In what condition? I don't know," the elder Dion said. "The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle."
It's been a year since Dion announced her diagnosis with the rare neurological disorder to the world.
Stiff-person syndrome is a condition characterized by muscles that tense uncontrollably, and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
"Unfortunately these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life," Dion said at the time. "Sometimes causing difficulty when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I'm used to."
Back in May, the singer cancelled all of her scheduled 2023 and 2024 shows.
Last month, the global star made a rare public appearance at an NHL game with her sons in Las Vegas.
