CELINE Dion has recently mourned the loss of a close friend in an emotional post.
On February 29, it was announced that the former Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, died at age 84.
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Days after the news broke, Céline, 55, shared a throwback picture of herself, her late husband, René Angélil, Brian, and his wife, Mila mid-discussion.
The A-list singer captioned her post, “I am so sorry to hear of the loss of our friend, the beloved former Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney. My love and prayers go to you, Mila, and your whole family. Celine xx.”
Underneath, she repeated her message in French.
MORE ABOUT BRIAN MULRONEY
Brian was the 18th Canadian Prime Minster from 1983 to 1993.
He has three children: Ben, Mark, and Caroline, and four grandchildren.
In her statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, Brian’s daughter Caroline revealed that her father died peacefully while surrounded by his loved ones.
A spokesperson for the Mulroney family confirmed that Brian died at a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida, as he was being treated for a recent fall.
In the summer of 2023, Brian’s family revealed he was getting better every day after a heart procedure that followed treatment for prostate cancer earlier that year.
In the past, Céline spoke about her health issues.
DEVASTATING DIAGNOSIS
In December 2022, the iconic singer announced she will stop performing because of an incurable neurological condition.
The My Heart Will Go On hitmaker has been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome – also known as SPS.
It is a neurological disease with features of autoimmune conditions and the exact cause is unknown.
According to experts at University College London, the condition is caused by persistent spasms and affects multiple muscles – primarily the lower limbs.
Most people who develop the illness will receive a diagnosis between the ages of 40 and 60 years old.
SPS can leave sufferers as “human statues” and sometimes unable to walk or talk.
In most cases, people with SPS respond to high doses of diazepam, which is often used as an anti-anxiety medication.
Pain relievers will also improve the symptoms, but these will not cure the disorder.
‘I’M READY NOW’
Speaking about her diagnosis, a tearful Celine explained: ”Hello everyone, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person.
“As you know I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before but I’m ready now.
“I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.
“Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the Stiff Person Syndrome which affects 1 in a million people.
“While we’re still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what’s been causing all the spasms I’ve been having.”
She continued: “Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I’m used to.
“It hurts me to tell you today that this means I won’t be ready to restart my tour in Europe in February.”
The singer then went on to say that she is working with a “great team of doctors” to get better.
RECENT UPDATE ON CELINE’S HEALTH
In December 2023, Celine’s sister Claudette spoke about the Canadian star’s health with the French publication 7 Jours.
According to E! News, via translation from French, Claudette said: “She doesn’t have control over her muscles.
“What breaks my heart is that she’s always been disciplined. She’s always worked hard. Our mother always told her, ‘You’re going to do it well, you’re going to do it properly.'”
She added: “It’s true that in both our dreams and hers, the goal is to return to the stage. In what capacity? I don’t know.”
As Entertainment Weekly reported, Claudette also said to 7 Jours: “The vocal cords are muscles, and the heart is also a muscle. This is what comes to get me.
“Because [Dion’s condition is a] one out of a million case, the scientists haven’t done that much research because it didn’t affect that many people.”
According to the outlet, representatives for Celine did not immediately respond to its request for comment
But Celine defied the odds, and presented the award for Album of the Year to Taylor Swift at the Grammys 2024 last month.
“When I say that I’m happy to be here,” Celine said, choking back tears of her own. “I really mean it.”
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