Céline Dion was deeply moved to tears during the presentation of her documentary I am Celine Dion (I Am: Céline Dion)which details his fight against stiff person syndromea neurological disorder that has prevented him from performing on stage in recent times.
This heartbreaking story was presented at Alice Tully Hall in New York, where the artist was received with a standing ovation by an enthusiastic crowd.
In an emotional speech, Dion highlighted the fundamental support of her children, René-Charles, Nelson and Eddy, who were present at the event. “I wouldn’t be here without the daily love and support of my wonderful children.,” stated the singer, visibly affected and with a broken voice.
During the presentation, Dion expressed his gratitude to the documentary’s director, Irene Taylorrecognizing his “incredible talent” for portraying his story “with so much feeling and tenderness”.
Likewise, Dion praised his neurologist, Amanda Piqué, who played a crucial role in his diagnosis: “Thank you, Amanda, for solving the mystery about my health.”
The documentary, which will premiere in Prime Video on June 25, offers an unfiltered portrait of Dion’s experiences facing this rare disease. At the event, Dion commented that “this is, by far, the biggest crowd it’s had in a few years”, upon being received with a warm welcome by the public.
Additionally, on the same night, Celine Dion announced a generous donation of 2 million dollars to the Céline Dion Foundation Chair in Autoimmune Neurology at the University of Colorado, which will be chaired by its neurologist Amanda Piqué.
During his speech, he emphasized the importance of this contribution to advance autoimmune disease research.
As emotion dominated the atmosphere, Rene-Charlesthe eldest son of Dion, He came to her aid by giving her a handkerchief to dry her tears..
Visibly moved, Dion addressed a few words to her fans: “Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you”, he expressed.
The impact of the documentary goes beyond simply telling a story of illness and recovery; It also highlights the challenging but unwavering career of an artist who has been a relevant figure in music for decades.
“Your presence on my journey has been an invaluable gift.. Her endless love and support throughout all these years has led me to this moment,” Dion said gratefully to her audience.
Finally, the documentary is awaited with great expectation. I am Celine Dion It not only represents a cinematographic piece about the life of a star, but also a testimony of resilience and strength in the face of adversity, which has impressed both critics and his followers around the world.
Celine Dion revealed that he took up to 90 milligrams of Valium daily to control symptoms of stiff person syndrome (SPS), a dose that could be lethal. The singer was diagnosed with this neurological disorder in August 2022.
In an interview with NBC News, he said he started with 20 milligrams of Valium, but progressively increased the dose to 90 milligrams to relax his body due to severe muscle spasms.
“Ninety milligrams can kill you. You can stop breathing. But in a moment my body got used to it“said the winner of five Grammy Awards.
After stopping activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Dion decided to reduce her medication consumption with medical help to avoid risks. However, when he stopped taking the drugs, his symptoms worsened, making it difficult for him to sing.
The Grammy winner expressed the emotional impact of the illness: “I didn’t know who I was anymore because I’m not the person I used to be.”
