Celine Dion took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce the release date of her emotional new documentary, I Am: Celine Dion.
The hitmaker, 55, gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at her battle with incurable stiff-person syndrome while revealing the new documentary will be streaming globally on Prime Video onJune 25.
Celineannounced in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with the syndrome - an extremely rare disorder that makes the muscles in the torso and limbs alternate between spasming and being rigid.
She revealed she would be stepping away from performing.
The new documentary - captured over more than a year of filming - follows the star as she battles to continue her normal life and career amid her diagnosis.
Celine Dion's team took to her official Instagram account on Tuesday to announce the release date of her emotional new documentary, I Am: Celine Dion.
The hitmaker, 55, gave fans a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at her long battle with incurable stiff-person syndrome while revealing the new documentary will be streaming globally on Prime Video as of June 25th
The new documentary - captured over more than a year of filming - follows the star as she battles to continue her normal life and career amid her diagnosis.
The emotional behind-the-scenes snap showcases Celine embracing a natural look as she punches the air - signifying her vow to not let the life-altering illness define her.
She captioned it with: 'Get ready! @amazonmgmstudios announces release date to the highly anticipated documentary! I AM: CELINE DION will be streaming globally on @primevideo starting June 25.
'Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I AM: CELINE DION gives us a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar's struggle with a life-altering illness.
'Serving as a love letter to her fans, this inspirational documentary highlights the music that has guided her life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. - Team Celine'.
It comes after Celine said in a statement earlier this year: 'This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me.
'As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans.
'During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.'
A synopsis read: 'From visiting her couture touring wardrobe and personal effects to spending time in the recording studio, the documentary captures a global megastar’s never-before-seen private life.
'An emotional, energetic, and poetic love letter to music, I Am: Celine Dion captures more than a year of filming as the legendary singer navigates her journey toward living an open and authentic life amidst illness.'
Celine announced in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome - an extremely rare disorder that makes the muscles in the torso and limbs alternate between spasming and being rigid (pictured 2023)
She also revealed to fans that she would be stepping away from performing while she works on her health (pictured 2015)
Amazon MGM has landed the worldwide rights to the documentary with the film set to stream on Prime Video.
Irene Taylor directed the documentary made by Sony Music Vision, Sony Music Entertainment Canada and Vermilion Films.
'I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through,' she said in an emotional video first announcing her condition.
Although she initially postponed her Courage World Tour until the spring of 2024, the Golden Globe winner decided to cancel it in May.
'Even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again,' she told her loyal fans.
The determined artist appears to have kept her promise she made to keep working on her health. 'I want you all to know, I’m not giving up … and I can’t wait to see you again!' she said at the time.
Celine's sister recently revealed the singer hadlost control of her musclesdue to her condition.
'Celine is a fighter,' an insider told US Weekly.'She doesn’t have as much control over her muscles as she did before, but she’s working with doctors and physical therapists to get better.'
Amazon MGM has landed the worldwide rights to the documentary with the film that is set to stream on Prime Video soon
Celine's condition, which is progressive and incurable, causes the body to attack its own nerve cells and severely impacts mobility; (pictured 2019)
The source claimed, 'Celine has been taking time to focus on her health but plans to take the stage again once she is given the go-ahead by her medical team.'
A second person in the know backed up the comments.
'She’s staying positive and upbeat and doing her physical therapy every day,' the insider said.
'Getting back on stage in some form is her constant dream, even if she can no longer sing; she just wants to see those shining faces.'
Stiff-person syndrome is a 'rare autoimmune neurological disorder that most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that come and go and can worsen over time,' according to John Hopkins Medicine.
STIFF-PERSON SYNDROME: INCURABLE NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION THAT LOCKS THE BODY
Stiff person syndrome is an extremely rare disorder that makes the muscles in the torso and limbs alternate between spasming and being rigid.
Estimates suggest it affects around 70 people in the UK and 330 in the US and remains little understood. Around twice as many women as men are hit with it.
The progressive disease sees patients' stiffness increase over time and can lead to them needing to use a wheelchair.
There tend to be three types of the syndrome:
- Classical person man syndrome: When rigidity and spasms are around the back and stomach, and occasionally thighs and neck. It can cause back curvature over time.
- Stiff limb syndrome: Spasms especially affect the legs and feet, occasionally causing them to become fixed in place. Hands can also be affected.
- Jerking stiff person syndrome: The rarest, most aggressive form, which includes symptoms from both the others, and also affects the head and eyes.
Experts do not know exactly what is behind the disease.
But they believe it may be caused by an autoimmune reaction, when the body attacks its own nerve cells that control muscle movement.
Around 40 per cent of sufferers also have type 1 diabetes, another autoimmune disease. Type 1 diabetes is particularly associated with classical person syndrome.
Other autoimmune conditions likevitiligo, which causes white patches of skin, and pernicious anemia are likewise associated with it.
It is also more common in people with breast, lung, kidney, thyroid or colon cancer, as well as lymphomas, but researchers do not yet know why.
In stiff person syndrome, the immune system attacks a protein that helps makegamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which regulate motor neurons — the nerves that control movement.
Low levels of GABA cause the neurons to continuously fire when they are not supposed to, resulting in the spasms and rigidity.
What are its symptoms?
The main symptoms caused bystiff person syndrome are spasms and rigidity of the torso and limbs.
Spasms can be triggered by loud noises, with the condition also causing heightened sensitivity to sound.
Touch and emotional distress can also be felt more intensely as a result of the condition.
The spasms can be so severe they cause people to fall over or lead to difficulty walking and other disability.
Stress and anxiety are also usually higher in those with the condition, particularly because of the unpredictability of spasms.
The lack of GABA — which regulates anxiety — in their system also affects mental health.
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