Celine Dion‘s big sister Claudette, who’s also her godmother, has given HELLO! Canada magazine another update on the diva’s health.

“She’s doing everything to recover,” says Claudette of Celine, who was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder stiff person syndrome last year. “She’s a strong woman.”

“It’s an illness we know so little about,” Claudette tells HELLO! Canada. “There are spasms – they’re impossible to control. You know how people often jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s a bit like that, but in all muscles.”

“There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain,” Claudette continues. However, she says it’s “comforting for all of us” that their sister Linda and her husband live near Celine in Las Vegas and can help her.

“We’re crossing our fingers that researchers will find a remedy for this awful illness,” Claudette says, noting that even if her sister isn’t currently able to sing and perform the way she’d like to, her fans will still support her.

“They love Celine, not only for the voice she has, but also for the human being she is,” Claudette says. “For the woman she has become, for the mother she has become. We love her for the person she is.”

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