Céline's AMAZING JOURNEY

CÉLINE DION IS PUTTING ON A BRAVE FACE - AND LOOKING BACK AT HER PHENOMENAL LIFE AND CAREER-AS HER HEALTH CONTINUES TO DECLINE.

IT'S been one year since Céline Dion announced she'd been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare and incurable neurological condition that causes severe muscle spasms and stiffening in the limbs. Since first postponing her long-awaited world tour, the 55-year-old has experienced many emotional ups and downs. In May, she revealed she would cancel the tour's 2024 dates, then in late December, her sister Claudette told media outlets that the five-time Grammy-winning singer's legendary voice had been affected by the degenerative disease, telling a news outlet Céline no longer "has control over her muscles' including her vocal cords. Yet a month earlier, the Canadian songstress had appeared to be in great spirits while attending a hockey game with her three sons in Las Vegas, giving fans hope for her return. "Despite all the challenges she's facing, Céline has a glass half-full attitude," a source tells Star. "She's always managed to remain optimistic during the toughest of times.

Over the course of her legendary career, Céline has entertained millions, and her story is one of unlikely success a child whose God-given talent propelled her from poverty to untold riches. Along the way, she met her own Prince Charming, albeit an unconventional one, in her much older manager. She's also faced heartbreak and loss. But as her health declines, in the words of one of her most beloved songs, she promises her heart will go on.

EARLY STRUGGLES

Céline is no stranger to adversity. The youngest of 14 children, she grew up poor outside Montreal, in Québec, and slept in a dresser drawer because her parents couldn't afford a crib. Awkward and gangly as a teen, she was bullied over her thin frame and crooked teeth. "I never wanted to leave my parents' house," she's said. "Kids are very cruel. I didn't feel secure. I didn't feel like I fit in."