Celine Dion delighted the audience during her return to the stage during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, this Friday (7/26). The Canadian artist sang the French hit L’Hymne à l’amour, by Edith Piaf, at the Eiffel Tower.
It was her first time performing after revealing she suffered from stiff person syndrome, which caused her to walk away from the stage. The disease affects Céline’s vocal cords, making it difficult for her to sing, as shown in the documentary Eu Sou: Céline Dion. In production, the artist even had a seizure after rehearsing in the studio.
Céline revealed her PRS diagnosis in December 2022 and had to cancel a world tour. Since then, she has made few public appearances.
Despite the excitement surrounding her return at the opening of the Olympics, many fans wondered whether or not Celine sang live.
According to international media, Celine Dion sang live and did not lip sync to the song. “Dion was in excellent form when she sang high, clean notes,” CNN noted.
“The singer concluded movingly, showing visible emotion at the end of the performance,” Variety said.
What is SPR?
PRS is a neurological disease that affects one in a million people. This disease causes body muscles to become stiff and painful in spasm. In some cases, tremors can cause bone cracks and bouts of shortness of breath.
The syndrome appears most frequently between the ages of 30 and 60 and is twice as common in women. Although the exact causes of stiff person syndrome are not known, autoimmune diseases such as vitiligo and diabetes are associated with this condition.
Treatment
Although there is no cure, RPS can be treated to control symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life. Procedures depend on the severity of each individual’s case and include everything from medications that slow the nervous system to immunotherapy.
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