The announcement was made at the premiere of her documentary, I am: Celine Dion, out later this month
The Celine Dion Foundation has pledged $2 million to create the Celine Dion Foundation Endowed Chair in Autoimmune Neurology. The announcement was made during the New York special screening of her upcoming documentary, I Am: Celine Dion.
According to a press release, Amanda Piquet, MD, who is the director of the Autoimmune Neurology Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, will be the inaugural chair holder. “The Autoimmune Neurology Program’s mission is to provide the best neurological care and improve the quality of life for every patient with an autoimmune neurological disorder – all while effectively integrating education and research into the clinical experience,” read the statement.
The press release adds that additional resources from the donation will “provide financial support for students, research expenditures, participation in conferences, curriculum development and other initiatives prioritized by the chair holder.”
Dion, who was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder stiff-person syndrome, received a standing ovation during Monday’s screening of the Prime Video documentary. “Thank you to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of my journey. This movie is my love letter to each of you,” Dion told the crowd gathered at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Variety reported. “I hope to see you all again very, very soon.”
The icon acknowledged Dr. Piquet during her speech and said she “delivered an important result for me: she has replaced my fear with hope.”
I Am: Celine Dion was directed by Peabody and Emmy-winning filmmaker Irene Taylor, who captured the artist’s journey over the course of a year and offers rare access to Dion’s personal life. In a statement released when the doc was first announced in January, Dion said, “This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me.”