Celine Dion on when she will perform on stage again: 'My body will tell me'
Celine Dion shared that she's still uncertain about when she can return to the stage and perform for her fans again.
In an interview with Vogue France, the 56-year-old singer, who is suffering from an autoimmune neurological disorder known as stiff person syndrome, said that the decision would be up to her body.
"As things stand, I can't stand here and say to you: 'Yes, in four months.' I don't know... My body will tell me. On the other hand, I don't just want to wait," she said, adding that it's her passion, will, and determination in singing that drive her to be healthy enough to go back on stage.
"It's morally hard to live from day to day. It's hard, I'm working very hard, and tomorrow will be even harder. Tomorrow is another day. But there's one thing that will never stop, and that's the will. It's the passion. It's the dream. It's the determination," she said.
Celine also told the media outlet that she's learning to live with the disease. "I haven't beat the disease as it's still within me and always will be. I hope that we'll find a miracle, a way to cure it with scientific research, but for now, I have to learn to live with it. So that's me, now with stiff-person syndrome."
"I have to learn to live with it now and stop questioning myself. At the beginning, I would ask myself: Why me? How did this happen? What have I done? Is this my fault?" she continued.
The My Heart Will Go On singer said she's now working with all her "body and soul" to get better with the help of a medical team. "Life doesn't give you any answers. You just have to live it! I have this illness for some unknown reason," she added. "I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!"
Celine first disclosed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, which is "a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord," according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It causes muscle stiffness as well as spasms, normally between the ages of 30 and 60. The symptoms can remain stable in some cases but could get progressively worse in others.
In May last year, she was forced to cancel a string of shows scheduled for 2023 and 2024, saying she was not strong enough to tour.
Celine has an upcoming documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, which will give viewers a "raw and honest behind-the-scenes look" at her struggles with stiff person syndrome. Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, the film is set to stream globally starting June 25 on Prime Video.
