Céline Dion, Battling Stiff Person Syndrome, Thanks Fans for 'Giant Wave' of Birthday Love

Superstar Céline Dion is feeling the love!

The Grammy-winning icon posted a special thank-you on her Instagram Stories Friday in the wake of an outpouring of birthday wishes.

She turned 55 on Thursday.

"I felt this giant wave of love," she wrote on a hot-pink background. "Thanks to everyone for the birthday messages!"

The French-Canadian legend included smiling heart-faces and a French translation.

The sentiments come months after Dion revealed in an emotional video that she was canceling her remaining tour dates after being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome.

"Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome," she revealed in December, "which affects something like one in a million people. While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know that this is what has been causing all of the spasms that I've been having."

"Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life," Dion continued, "sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to."

The Stiff Person Research Foundation describes the condition as “a neurological disease with autoimmune features. Symptoms include muscle spasms, hyper-rigidity, debilitating pain, and chronic anxiety. Muscle spasms can be so violent they can dislocate joints and even break bones.”

The Foundation says the disease is often misdiagnosed and “patients can be disabled, wheelchair bound or bedridden, unable to work and care for themselves.”

Céline continued, “I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better, and my precious children who are supporting me and giving me hope. I'm working hard with my sports medicine therapists every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again. But I have to admit it's been a struggle.”

Dion said, “Singing is what I love the most,” adding, “For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment, and I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery. This is my focus. And I'm doing everything that I can to recuperate.”

She closed with, “I love you guys so much and I really hope I can see you again real soon.”

In April 2022, Céline posted an emotional message to fans, postponing and canceling some of her European tour dates.

The singer shared, “I'm so sorry we have to change our tour plans for Europe one more time; first we had to move the shows because of the pandemic, now it’s my health issues causing us to postpone some shows and unfortunately we have to cancel some, too.”

At the time, The Toronto Star reported Céline had been suffering from “severe and persistent muscle spasms.”