Maritime woman shares details of her struggle with stiff person syndrome
One of the most successful singers of all time has exited the music stage.
Céline Dion, the award-winning singer best-known for her hit “My Heart Will Go On,” has gone public with her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, which impacts one in every one million people.
Linda Cox heard the news last night.
“When they listed her symptoms, they listed mine,” said Cox from her home in Bear River, N.S.
Cox went home sick from work 25 years ago with stiffness in her right leg. It took four years before she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome.
Stiff person syndrome affects the brain and spinal cord and it can be triggered by loud sounds and bright lights.
“Spasms can get so bad they can break your bones --- a balloon bursting or a car horn blowing,” said Cox. “When I would go to outpatients, if the lady was going to vacuum, she would come tell me so I wouldn’t be startled when she turned it on.”
Those with stiff person syndrome live in fear of spasms.
“As a result, if they are walking across an open area, even though they may seem normally able to walk, if they hear a sound, the person may freeze up, fall over and hurt themselves,” said Dr. Andrew McKeon from the Mayo Clinic.
Cox has been forced to use a cane and sometimes a walker.
“I am scared to leave the house, to go outdoors,” said Cox. “I start to get tense.”
According to her son, Nick, the diagnosis has impacted his family's lifestyle.
“She was a very hands-on volunteer, always driving us to sports and band,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, it stopped. Someone who was always out in the community doing stuff for her boys couldn’t leave the house and was afraid to leave the house.”
Cox was saddened by the Céline Dion diagnosis. However, because of Dion’s fame, she said there is a possible upside to this recent diagnosis.
“I haven’t come across anyone who has heard of it,” said Cox. “Now people are going to hear of it.”
And that could lead to awareness, fundraising and maybe a cure.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.