Suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disease, Celine Dion has donated a huge sum to a hospital in Colorado to help find a treatment.
Celine Dion is helping people like her who suffer from stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disease that causes painful muscle spasms. The Quebec diva has donated $2 million to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. This money will fund scientific research to find an effective treatment for stiff person syndrome.
Celine Dion recounts her fight against illness in a documentary
“I’m just incredibly honored to receive this recognition for advancing research,” Dr. Amanda Piquet said in an interview with CBS. Piquet has been following Dion for two years. “She found us by accident (…) We worked very hard with her to manage her symptoms, to get her on a good treatment path,” she said.
Celine Dion has suffered from stiff person syndrome for over 17 years, but was diagnosed late in life. The interpreter of For you to love me again recounts his fight against the disease in his intimate documentary I am: Celine Dion, available on Prime Video since June 25. The star allowed herself to be filmed in moments of deep vulnerability, notably during a very painful crisis.
This transparency initiative aims to show the violence of the disease, which disrupts the daily lives of those who suffer from it. “There is no treatment for this disease. We often use immune therapies and symptomatic therapies to manage the disease,” emphasizes Dr. Amanda Piquet. “We do things like physiotherapy, massage therapy and, in Celine’s case, vocal therapy to help manage the symptoms,” she continues. Celine Dion is fighting to regain control of her vocal cords and get back on stage as soon as possible. Despite her countless pains, the diva is not giving up. “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. But I won’t stop,” she confides in her documentary. Some rumors suggest that Celine Dion will make a big comeback for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26 in Paris. Will she be ready by then? That’s all we hope!
