Florida Woman Shares How Car Crash Triggered Her Stiff Person Syndrome—The Same Disease Celine Dion Is Fighting

Jomana Houssari, a 31-year-old woman who lives in Florida, shares her perspective on her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome (SPS) — a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that also affects renowned artist Celine Dion. Despite a history of health issues, Houssari believes a traumatic car accident might have triggered the onset of this debilitating syndrome.

Houssari revealed that the first sign and symptom she experienced was difficulty moving around. “Suddenly, I couldn’t move my legs,” she admitted. “A few minutes later, I was able to function again, but I kept getting cramps in my legs.”

Jomana Houssari has had health challenges since birth

Houssari’s health journey started with early adversities, being born at a mere 2lbs 9oz and undergoing hernia surgery as a newborn. Despite these initial challenges, her health hurdles continued to unfold as she battled a series of autoimmune and neurological disorders in her later life.

RELATED: Celine Dion Sings In Public For The First Time In Three Years Amid Debilitating Health Condition

In an interview with Dailymail, Houssari disclosed that her stiff person syndrome symptoms started after she underwent surgery to repair the damage she suffered in a severe car accident. The aspiring police officer, who couldn’t pursue her dream because of the musculoskeletal disorder, added that she was first wrongly diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome — an autoimmune nerve degeneration disorder.

Jomana Houssari says her Stiff Person Syndrome diagnosis was a relief for her

She noted that she suspected she had SPS after her research about the condition, which led to a series of tests by her physician, who had never heard of such an ailment before. However, she noted that it took a long time to get the right diagnosis, but it was comforting to know.

“It was a month-long wait for the results, but it was finally confirmed that I did indeed have SPS,” Houssari explained to the news outlet. “Getting the diagnosis was a relief, but thinking about the future is quite scary.”

This now raises the question—could Celine Dion have gone through something similar that ultimately triggered her stiff person syndrome disorder?