W5’s new documentary The Silence of Celine explores the rare disease that interrupted Celine Dion’s career, hearing from her longtime collaborators, friends and family.
For decades, Celine Dion has captured the hearts of Canadians with her powerful voice. She has been away from the spotlight ever since the singer announced that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms.
“Anyone can feel cramps in their calves or arms after exercising…[but] Dr. Rami Massey, a neurologist at the Montreal Neurological Institute Hospital, told CTV W5. “These are more painful spasms that occur in rare areas of the body. Spasms that leave people helpless and unable to do anything.”
Dion announced his diagnosis in December 2022 with an emotional look. Instagram Posting, “We still don’t know everything about this rare disease…These seizures are affecting my daily life on many levels.”
Dion announced her diagnosis in an emotional post on Instagram in December 2022, writing, “We still don’t know everything about this rare disease…These cramps have affected my daily life on many levels. ” (Instagram).
Stiff person syndrome occurs when the body’s antibodies attack enzymes in the central nervous system that control muscle movement. Only one or two people in a million people suffer from this disorder, and women are more affected than men.
Linda Carriere, a 50-year-old Canadian woman, knows firsthand what it’s like to live with this devastating disease. She used to be an avid athlete with a passion for marathons, triathlons and scuba diving, but she claims it has taken over her own life.
“Everything is stressful. If I suddenly hear a noise when I leave the house or hear a friend calling me, I get so stressed that I might collapse. My body stiffens in an instant. I will,” she said.
Linda Carriere, a 50-year-old Canadian woman, knows firsthand what it’s like to live with this devastating disease. She used to run marathons, triathlons and scuba. She was an avid athlete with a passion for diving, but it has taken over her life, she told CTV W5 (W5)
Carriere finds solace and strength in Dion’s brave fight and knows that their journeys with illness are very similar. In W5’s new documentary, The Silence of Celine, Carriere wipes away tears as she rewatches his announcement about Dion’s health.
“She explained this disorder very carefully. You live a very isolated life. But the people who can help us the most are those who know about our disease and People who still keep in touch and encourage us. It really helps. We feel less isolated. Perhaps this disorder will become even more well-known in the future, and that’s a good thing,” said Carriere. said.
For many of Celine’s collaborators and fans, her absence served to emphasize her meteoric rise to the top, especially in Las Vegas, where she had a residency at the height of her career. She brought in about $700 million in gross revenue and $2.5 million in ticket sales from 1,200 shows, said Carla Clark, vice president of communications for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.
“She provided rocket fuel for this city at a really critical time when the economy was collapsing,” said Norm Clark, a former columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Former Las Vegas columnist Norm Clark says Dion provided “rocket fuel” for the city when the economy collapsed (W5)
Besides her residencies and shows, Celine was a member of the Las Vegas community. She gave back to the city, owned a home and raised her children there. Her influence was so revolutionary and immense that she paved the way for other female pop stars to achieve work-life balance, with Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Adele all following Celine to Las Vegas. was residing in.
“There’s no question that Celine made Las Vegas cool again. She had a huge influence. As a result of her influence on the city, Las Vegas is a very different place than it was before.” It’s become a better city,” Clark said.
“There is no question that Celine’s presence will be missed here, but her spirit still exists…Vegas would love to have her back, so we hope Celine overcomes this disease.” I hope we can make one of the great miracles happen.”
W5/Noovo’s hour-long documentary presents testimony from medical experts on stiff person syndrome. Dion’s close friends and early collaborators share her hopes and concerns about her heartbreaking health crisis.
Watch CTV W5’s documentary “The Silence of Celine” Saturdays at 7 p.m.
