A video circulating on the internet has users claiming that Celine Dion was in a wheelchair at her son's wedding. The viral video shows a woman in a wheelchair dancing with her son on his wedding day. However, it has since been revealed that the woman in the video isn't Celine Dion but a woman named Kathy Poirier. Kathy is a 55-year-old who suffers from ALS, a type of a rare neurological disease, and she is dancing at her son Zak's wedding.
The clip was posted to Twitter by a user named @realanita_ on May 17, 2023, and it has gone on to accumulate over 230K views. It was also uploaded on YouTube by another user named Tina Charles World. The original video was posted on TikTok as well by a user named @quebclive.
While there are some people who have called out the user for spreading misinformation, there were others who seemingly believed that it was Dion in the video. The video on YouTube also had similar comments with people clarifying that the woman in the video wasn't Dion but Kathy. However, most of them couldn't help but feel emotional after they watched the video and sent their love to Kathy.
The now-viral video isn't about the Canadian singer (Image via Twitter/@realanita_)
The post uploaded by the user had the words "Celine Dion at her son's wedding," on it and they had written that at 55 Dion couldn't even "walk or lift herself up." However, the video was disproven by Twitter with the note that gave viewers context that the video was false information. It also told people that the woman was a 55-year-old named Kathy Poirier and not Celine Dion.
Twitter's context notes (Image via Twitter)
It is worth noting that while the 55-year-old singer does have three sons, none of them are married. Her eldest son is 22 while her other two sons are fraternal twins, who are 12.
The woman in the video isn't Celine Dion but a 55-year-old named Kathy Poirier who suffers from ALSThe original video of Kathy dancing with her son was posted by Roots to Stems, a wedding planner company from Orlando, Florida on Instagram. The video, posted on October 11, 2022, went on to amass more than 3.4 million views on the platform.
The video shows 55-year-old Kathy arriving in a wheelchair, helped by two of her sons as they wheel her to the middle of the dance floor. Her 28-year-old son Zak is standing in the center of the dance floor and with the help of his brothers, he helps her up. Following this, the four of them slowly move in unison as Zak holds his mother close and whispers, "I love you," in her ear. The crowd around them gives all four of them a standing ovation.
Kathy Poirier is a 55-year-old who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, it is a motor neuron disease that causes the neurons to degenerate and die, rendering her unable to walk.
The disease leads to the weakening of muscles, fasciculations, and atrophy. All of this eventually weakens the brain's ability to initiate voluntary movements. Although the progression of ALS can be slowed, there is no effective treatment to prevent its progression or cure the disease completely.
In a Youtube video posted by Good Morning America, Kathy shared the story behind the viral wedding dance.
She explains that she was initially very nervous about the mother-son dance and added that she wasn't worried about her sons but about being stared at. Kathy added:
"I've changed so much in two and a half years so I'm not the person who I once was."However, she noted that once she got onto the dance floor, she knew that her sons had her. She said that this was a moment that she had dreamed about for a long time.
Kathy explains that the hardest part of the disease was knowing that she had it. However, she said that she believes that there was a reason for it and that the message she was getting was to be strong, raise awareness, and inspire others.
Celine Dion was diagnosed with a rare medical condition last yearCeline Dion, who was last seen acting and working on the soundtrack for Priyanka Chopra's Love Again, was diagnosed with a rare medical condition in 2022. She took to Instagram on December 8, 2022, to tell her fans that she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).
In the video, Celine Dion detailed that the disease was extremely rare and had affected her daily life activities like walking and her vocal cord usage for singing.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, SPS is a progressive neurological disorder. It leads to the stiffening of muscles, increased sensitivity, and frequent spasms. Although treatments may help control symptoms and disease progression, there is no complete cure for the disease as of yet.
Edited by Madhur Dave
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