Celine Dion made a rare appearance at a hockey game in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday night as she continues to battle stiffness syndrome.
The superstar Titanic singer, 55, was seen in public for the first time in three and a half years as she greeted fans after watching the Montreal Canadiens take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Montreal vice-president of hockey communications Chantal Machabée shared on her Instagram a video of the iconic singer, who appeared cheerful as she hugged Machabee.
“A great visit to our game in Vegas yesterday,” Machabée captioned the photos. ‘Thank you Celine Dion for your generosity. The whole team was very happy to meet you and your family.’
Celine was accompanied by her sons René-Charles and twins Nelson and Eddy, and the family posed with some of the athletes after the race.
Rare outing: Celine Dion made a rare appearance at a hockey game in Las Vegas on Monday night, amid her battle with stiff person syndrome
Spotted: The 55-year-old superstar was spotted in public for the first time in 3 1/2 years as she greeted fans after watching the Montreal Canadiens take on the Vegas Golden Knights
Looking in good spirits: Montreal’s vice-president of hockey communications Chantal Machabée took to her Instagram to share a video of the iconic singer, who appeared in good spirits as she hugged Machabee
The Grammy winner has kept a very low profile since announcing that she was diagnosed with Moersch-Woltman syndrome in 2022.
The condition, also called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), is a rare neurological condition that causes people to experience painful muscle spasms.
She revealed her diagnosis in December, which forced her to pull the plug on her ‘Courage World Tour’, and her older sibling Claudette Dion, 74, has now said she is devastated that she and the singer’s family have little can do to help her. ‘strong’ sister or ‘relieves her pain’.
Claudette told HELLO! Canada: ‘She is doing everything she can to recover. She is a strong woman.
‘It is a disease we know so little about. There are spasms – they are impossible to control.
‘Do you know who people often jump up at night because of cramps in the leg or calf? It’s a bit like that, but in all muscles.
“There is little we can do to support her and ease her pain.”
She added that mother-of-three Celine’s family is “crossing their fingers that researchers will find a cure for this terrible disease.”
Great visit: “A great visit to our game in Vegas yesterday,” Machabée wrote alongside the photos. ‘Thank you Celine Dion for your generosity. The whole team was very happy to meet you and your family.’
Family affair: Celine was accompanied by her sons René-Charles and twins Nelson and Eddy, and the family posed with some athletes after the race
The Grammy winner has kept a very low profile since announcing that she was diagnosed with Moersch-Woltman Syndrome in 2022
Condition: The condition, also called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), is a rare neurological condition that causes people to experience painful muscle spasms
Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare, progressive neurological condition that can cause stiff muscles in the trunk, arms and legs – affecting around one in a million people.
Celine’s other sister Linda and her husband have moved to the singer’s Las Vegas home to care for her, and Claudette added, “It’s comforting for all of us (to have them near Celine.)”
Claudette previously revealed that despite working with “the best researchers in the field,” Grammy-winning Celine has seen little improvement in her health.
Reveal: She revealed her diagnosis in December, which forced her to pull the plug on her ‘Courage World Tour’, and her older sibling Claudette Dion, 74, has now said she is devastated that she and the woman’s family singer can do little to help her ‘strong’ sister or ‘relieve her pain’
Battle: Claudette told HELLO! Canada: ‘She is doing everything she can to recover. She is a strong woman. ‘It is a disease we know so little about. There are spasms – they are impossible to control
She told Le Journal de Montreal: “We can’t find any medicine that works, but having hope is important.”
Claudette said Celine’s cancellation of her ‘Courage’ tour was a necessary step for her chances of rehabilitation.
Speaking about the singer – whose husband, music producer René Angélil, aged 73, died in 2016 after they were married for 22 years – she said: “I honestly think what she needs most of all is rest. She always goes above and beyond, she always tries to be the best and the best of her abilities. At some point your heart and body are trying to tell you something. It is important to listen to it.”