Flushed, tearful, wailing in pain and unable to control her own body, Céline Dion endures an agonising ten-minute seizure in new scenes from a forthcoming documentary that lays bare her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), Daily Mail reports.
The Canadian singer is seen gasping for breath as medical professionals desperately attempt to alleviate her painful muscle spasms while a camera crew quietly films the ordeal.
Céline Dion, 56, was diagnosed with the condition, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and uncontrollable spasms, in 2022.
Her subsequent struggles are set to be documented in new Amazon Prime release I Am: Céline Dion – a heartbreaking look at the superstar’s daily life since making the decision to withdraw from the public eye while coming to terms with SPS and its debilitating effects.
And a new clip, shared ahead of its release on June 25, captures Céline Dion as her stricken body goes into ‘crisis’ during a filmed consultation with medical professionals.
In clear distress, Céline Dion looks on helplessly as doctors gently lay her in a comfortable position and check her vitals.
All the while, her bare-feet remain rigid as she battles the debilitating effects of the rare condition.
After receiving assistance the singer is finally able to sit upright and covers herself in a blanket before admitting her embarrassment at losing control of her body in front of the cameras.
She tells the camera: ‘Everytime something like this happens it makes you feel so embarrassed and so, like, I don’t how to express it, it’s just… you know, like to not have control of yourself..’
An emotional Dion breaks down while admitting she hasn’t given up on resuming her stage career at some point in the future.
She said: ‘I still see myself dance and sing. I always find plan b and plan c, you know. That’s me. If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. But I won’t stop. I won’t stop.’
Taylor told the PA news agency she was thinking “should I film it” when Dion went “very quickly” into the attack, but decided to continue as the singer, known for her powerful voice, had told her not “to ask permission to film something”.
She added: ‘So in that first 30 seconds, I was not focused on filming, I was the sound person and my cinematographer was there.