Shania Twain praying for Celine Dion's recovery

Shania Twain is praying for Celine Dion following her diagnosis with Stiff-Person Syndrome. Picture: Reuters

Shania Twain is praying for Celine Dion following her diagnosis with Stiff-Person Syndrome. Picture: Reuters

Published Aug 11, 2023

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Shania Twain is praying for Celine Dion following her diagnosis with Stiff-Person Syndrome.

The 'My Heart Will Go On' singer revealed last December she had been diagnosed with the condition - a rare neurological disease which can cause rigid muscles, spasms and frequent falls - and it's forced her to call off a series of shows.

Twain says it must be "horrifying" for Dion to be unable to perform.

She told Billboard magazine: "I’m such a fan of Celine’s voice. She’s a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary vocalist and entertainer.

“I hope to be able to connect with her at some point. I think it’s gotta be so difficult, and I know - only speaking from my experience - how horrifying it is to think that something is preventing you from singing, or interfering with that joy in your life.

“So I just pray that she is able to overcome it and she will be up there [on stage] singing for us all again."

Twain suffered her own health issues over the last few years which also affected her singing career.

The 57-year-old country star was left with nerve damage to her vocal cords after contracting Lyme disease in 2003 and later underwent an operation to help her perform again.

During an appearance on 'The Graham Norton Show', she explained: "The operation was very invasive, and I've got a big scar that I am proud of. I'm very happy to have a scar rather than no voice.

"The surgery was a miracle, and I am so grateful. Going back into a studio after the operation was a discovery and I was re-learning voice. I can get very loud and now I can swear really loudly!"

She added to InStyle magazine: "It's a reminder, don't take time for granted. Don't take the opportunity for granted. It's possible I might lose it, that it may not last.

“I guess any prosthetic or support that you get that is synthetic, your body still may give out around it. It could happen."