Céline Dion Establishes Foundation to Study Autoimmune Neurology Amid Stiff-Person Syndrome Battle

Dion made the announcement during the emotional premiere of her documentary I Am: Céline Dion in New York City Monday night.

The new chair at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus will enlist Dr Amanda Piqué -- Dion's neurologist and director of the Autoimmune Neurology Program at the university -- as the first person to hold the chair. Dr Piqué was sitting in the audience of the premiere as the superstar said the doctor "has replaced my fear with hope."

The premiere of Dion's documentary -- which will drop on Prime Video -- was an emotional one for the singer. While speaking in front of a packed cinema for the Lincoln Center screening she said, "This is by far the biggest crowd I've had in years," before adding, "I'm so proud to be here tonight to share this film with you."

She took a moment to thank her family, per Elle, saying, "I wouldn’t be here without the daily love and support from my wonderful children. Dion has three children with her late husband René Angélil: René-Charles, Nelson, and Eddy.

The "My Heart Will Go On" singer said she was taken aback by the love and support she has felt from her fans around the world.

"And thanks to you, my fans. Your presence in my journey has been a gift beyond measure. Your never-ending love and support over all these years have delivered me to this moment tonight," she said.

"I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have my fans in my life," she said, as she began to cry before her son ​​René-Charles stepped on stage to hand her a tissue.

"This movie is my love letter to each of you I hope to see you all again very, very soon."

Dion was diagnosed in August 2022 with the disease, six years after losing her husband and former manager Angélil to throat cancer. However, Dion has been suffering with symptoms -- including excruciating muscle spasms, difficulty walking and breathing -- for years.

The Grammy-winning singer first opened up about her diagnosis in 2022, in an emotional video in which she revealed her health problems and announced she'd be postponing her concerts in 2023.

"Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological condition called stiff-person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people," she said at the time. "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."

She later canceled her tour in May 2023, but she has been returning to the spotlight in recent months.

Before her red carpet moment on Monday night, Dion most recently public appearance at the Grammys, where she appeared to be in good health.

The Prime Video documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, will stream globally June 25 and is directed by Academy Award-nominated director Irene Taylor.