In 2022, Céline Dion announced that she’d been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome.
The singer has shared heartbreaking footage of herself enduring a terrifying ‘crisis’ seizure in her new documentary.
In December 2022, the legendary singer shared with the public that she suffers from a rare neurological condition called stiff person syndrome (SPS).
According to John Hopkins Medicine, the condition, which affects just one or two out of every million people, most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms.
Other symptoms include an unsteady gait, double vision and slurred speech, and often they can worsen over time.
Detailing her diagnosis in a video on Instagram, Céline previously told her fans: “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to.”
Additionally, she revealed she ‘almost d_ied’ as a result of the devastating condition.
Now, scenes from her newly released Amazon Prime documentary I Am: Céline Dion show just how severe the singer’s muscle spasms get.
In the heartbreaking clip, Céline Dion’s body seems to go into ‘crisis,’ causing 10 minutes of agonising pain.
We see her gasping for breath, with her bare feet completely rigid as she endures the painful episode.
Meanwhile, medical professionals lay her in a comfortable position, check her vitals and do everything they can to alleviate the uncontrollable spasms.
When the ordeal finally subsides, Céline sits up and wraps a blanket around herself, admitting that losing control over her body can be incredibly embarrassing.
Speaking to the camera, she says: “Every time something like this happens it makes you feel so embarrassed and so, like, I don’t how to express it, it’s just… you know, like to not have control of yourself…”
I Am: Céline Dion gives a heartbreaking insight to viewers into the ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer’s life since she withdrew herself from the public eye after her SPS diagnosis.
Irene Taylor, the documentary’s director, was initially unsure about filming the ‘crisis’ seizure, but made a decision to continue as Céline had told her not ‘to ask permission to film something’.
“I did decide to keep filming, knowing that we didn’t have to use it,” Taylor told Press Associates, but said Céline was adamant that the footage was used.
She added: “Believe it or not, she left that location in very high spirits. And she was actually taking care of me.
“She squeezed my hand and she was just about to drive away in the car, she reached her hand out the window. And she said, ‘Don’t worry about what happened.’
“And I think that was her way of saying, if you filmed that you know, it’s OK.”
