A year after the cancellation of her world tour in December, the 74-year-old sibling suggests that Celine’s return to the stage may take a while due to her ongoing battle with the progressive and incurable neurological disorder known as stiff person syndrome.
This disorder prompts the body to attack its nerve cells, severely impacting mobility.
According to Daily Mail on Monday, Claudette said, ‘She works hard, but she has no control over her muscles. What breaks my heart is that she has always been disciplined. She has always worked hard. Our mother always told her, “You’re going to do well, you’re going to do well.”‘
She continued: “It is true that in our dreams as well as in hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? Don’t know.’
Although research into the condition is ongoing, its rarity means progress has been slow. Claudette added, “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is a muscle too. This is what’s coming for me. Because it’s a 1 in a million case, the scientists didn’t do that much research because it didn’t affect that many people.”
Celine’s charity, Fondation Maman Dion, has been inundated with messages of support for the star. Claudette said: ‘Some people have lost hope because they are all diseases that are not well known. If you only knew how many calls the Foundation gets about Celine! People tell us they love her and are praying for her. She gets so many messages, presents, and blessed crucifixes.”
Claudette previously revealed that despite working with “the best researchers in the field,” her sister has seen little improvement in her health. She told Le Journal de Montreal: “We can’t find any medicine that works, but having hope is important.”
In October, Claudette said Celine was not yet dependent on a wheelchair to get around and was still planning to perform again.
