Prime Video’s I Am: Celine Dion chronicles the singer’s stiff-person syndrome diagnosis and her symptoms while battling the condition. Ahead of the documentary premiere, Celine Dion openly talked about her health battles in multiple interviews. The official trailer also comprises clips of the singer talking about her neurological condition and getting emotional as she recalls her journey. Other clips also present archival and behind-the-scenes footage from her life and music career.
Celine Dion revealed that she first felt stiff-person syndrome symptoms in 2008 but was only diagnosed over a decade later. Reportedly, she first shared the news about her diagnosis in December 2022 in a since-deleted post. In the caption, she talked about “dealing with problems with my health” and the challenges she has been facing.
Celine Dion revealed that she first felt stiff-person syndrome symptoms in 2008 but was only diagnosed over a decade later. Reportedly, she first shared the news about her diagnosis in December 2022 in a since-deleted post. In the caption, she talked about “dealing with problems with my health” and the challenges she has been facing.
Celine Dion’s documentary premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
What did Celine Dion reveal about stiff person syndrome’s early symptoms?
According to TODAY, Celine Dion opened up about the first stiff person syndrome symptoms she felt in a Vogue interview. The singer recalled the early signs, which she claims date back to 2008, fourteen years before her diagnosis. Dion claimed she first felt the symptoms of her rare neurological condition during the Taking Chances World Tour. She said, “Quite rapidly, I was having difficulty controlling my voice.”
However, at the time, experts failed to find any abnormalities in her health. Dion stated, “They looked at (my vocal cords) from every angle” and called it “pristine.” Her journey continued and so did the tours until her muscles began to stiffen, something she soon noticed. Eventually, she started needing assistance with basic mobility, such as walking.
Further discussing her medical condition, Celine Dion said doctors finally diagnosed her with stiff-person syndrome. The neurological disorder reportedly causes stiffness and muscle spasms, and there is no cure for it yet. A person can first start feeling stiff-person syndrome’s symptoms in the upper body, and as time passes, the symptoms start affecting the individual’s lower body. This causes difficulty walking.
According to Healthline, Dion described the life-changing symptoms in an interview with NBC News. She claimed, “It’s like somebody is strangling you. It’s like somebody is pushing your larynx/pharynx.” The singer disclosed how “my fingers, my hands, will get in position” and start cramping whenever she tried to cook. “It’s cramping, but it’s like in a position where you cannot unlock them,” she added.
In an April interview with Vogue France, Celine Dion claimed she is getting treated for her stiff-person syndrome symptoms. However, the singer said she is yet to “beat the disease, as it’s still within me and always will be. She revealed that she undergoes “athletic, physical and vocal therapy” five days s week to work on “my toes, my knees, my calves, my fingers, my singing, my voice.”
The I Am: Celine Dion will offer an intimate and emotional look into her journey as she battles the rare medical condition. The documentary trailer consists of clips that follow the singer to the hospital where she receives treatment. Via the film, she is also letting the audience into her home. Dion talks about “working hard every day, but I have to admit it’s been a struggle” in one clip. She also claims she misses singing, but adds, “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. I won’t stop.”
Celine Dion hopes her documentary raises awareness about the stiff-person syndrome diagnosis and its weighty symptoms.
