The ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer’s sister Claudette Dion spoke with HELLO! to share a hopeful update about her health

Celine Dion promised to “work hard” to regain her strength after revealing her diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome in December 2022. Today, her sister Claudette is assuring fans that she couldn’t have been more true to her word.

“She’s doing everything to recover,” Claudette, 74, tells HELLO! Canada. “She’s a strong woman.”

Claudette, a recording star in her own right, graciously took the time to speak to HELLO! Canada to share a hopeful update about her superstar sibling – and goddaughter – and offer insight into the Grammy winner’s battle with the rare and debilitating condition.

“I know her spirits are up because we hear it in her voice,” Celine Dion’s sister Claudette tells HELLO! exclusively

“It’s an illness we know so little about,” admits Claudette, candidly reflecting on symptoms linked to the syndrome. “There are spasms – they’re impossible to control. You know who people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s a bit like that, but in all muscles,” she says, dismayed. “There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain.”