Dion wishes fans for Christmas after revealing neurological disorder

WASHINGTON: Singer Celine Dion recently dropped a new video message for her fans on Christmas, her first since posting one earlier this month that revealed she suffers from the neurological disorder Stiff Person Syndrome.

Dion offered encouraging words for her fans in both English and French more than two weeks after she acknowledged the ailment and revealed the postponement of the European tour dates in an Instagram video.

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A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion)

"Merry Christmas, everyone," the Canadian superstar said in a video posted to Instagram and Twitter on Christmas Eve. "Wishing you love, happiness, the best of health."

As per a report by Fox News, a US-based news outlet, Dion made her Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis public on December 8 to her 5.4 million Instagram followers.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Stiff Person Syndrome is "a rare autoimmune movement disorder that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)."

According to the Cleveland Clinic, as quoted in a report by Fox News, patients with the condition, which Dion said is roughly one in a million people, "first experience a stiffening of the muscles of their trunk followed, over time, by the development of stiffness and rigidity in the legs and other muscles in the body."

Dion claimed that she experiences spasms that make it challenging for her to walk and that have an impact on her singing. "I'm working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again," Dion said.

"But I have to admit it's been a struggle. All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life. And it's what I love to do the most." As per Fox News, in January, she cancelled the remaining North American shows from her 'Courage World Tour', citing a "recovery from recent health issues" as her reasoning.

Dion's social media team commemorated the 25th anniversary of the debut of Titanic, which included Dion's enduring "My Heart Will Go On" as its theme, between her post on December 8 and her holiday message on December 24.