Published Jan 15, 2021

Emotional Message From Celine Dion On Anniversary of Husband’s Passing Reminds Us We Can Still Seek Guidance from Those We’ve Lost

Singer Celine Dion lost her husband, RenÃ© AngÃ©lil, to cancer five years ago. In a new post on the anniversary of his death, she said she still thinks about him every day and calls on him for guidance.

Anne McCarthy

Details

Celine Remembers RenÃ©

Celine Dion’s husband RenÃ© died five years ago, at 73, after a battle with throat cancer.
He was first diagnosed with the disease in 1998, and a second time in 2014; he treated his cancer with surgery.
Coping with a loved one’s cancer diagnosis can be helped by having a strong support network, and ensuring you take care of yourself first, so you can be a system of support for your partner.

Iconic Canadian songbird Celine Dion, 52, shared a poignant message to her husband that will really resonate in these difficult times. On social media, the singer honored her late husband, RenÃ© AngÃ©lil, who passed away from throat cancer five years ago at 73, in a recent post and said she calls on him for guidance. Dion wrote on Instagram of her late love, “RenÃ©, it's been 5 years alreadyâ€¦ There's not one day that we don't think about you.” After losing a loved one to cancer, honoring their memory and sharing it with the world is one of many ways someone may cope with grief.

Dion said she looks to him for support and protection, which may be especially needed (for all of us) during this scary, uncertain time of a global pandemic. “We're reaching out to you now more than ever, to guide us, protect us, and continue to watch over us,” she said. “And we pray that you’ll shine your love on the entire world, to all those at this very moment, who are facing incredibly difficult times. You are in our hearts and in our lives forever. We love you, Celine, RenÃ©-Charles, Nelson and Eddy xx”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CeÌline Dion (@celinedion)

RenÃ©’s Throat Cancer Battle

RenÃ© was diagnosed with throat cancer for the first time in 1998, and then it went into remission. But his cancer returned in 2014; he was diagnosed with the disease after doctors found a lump on his neck. After his 2014 diagnosis, RenÃ© underwent surgery to treat it. The procedure involved removing parts of his tongue to treat his throat cancer.

Dr. Jessica Geiger, a Medical Oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, explained in an eariler interview about the link between throat cancer and HPV. “Right now there are no screening guidelines to screen for throat cancer, unlike cervical cancer with pap smears. And there are no standard tests to determine if you harbor the virus. However, there is no concern that you’re going to spread this cancer to your partner or to anyone else, because at this point your partner has already been exposed to the virus and likely cleared it.”

Thankfully, this type of cancer is quite responsive to treatment, said Dr. Geiger. “HPV-related throat cancer, generally, is very responsive to treatment with radiation and chemotherapy. And the cure rates for patients who have HPV-related disease are a lot higher than those who have tobacco-related throat cancer.”

Get the Facts: What Do We Know About HPV-Linked Throat Cancer?

Coping with a Spouse’s Cancer Diagnosis

When a spouse is diagnosed with cancer, it can feel like a devastating blow. It’s important that you surround yourself with the needed support so that you can first take care of yourself and then show up fully for your partner. Writer and actress Jill Kargman, who is a cancer survivor, said in a previous interview how a cancer diagnosis can also shine a light on the strength or weakness of a relationship.

“I think cancer is a great way to find out if you’re with the love of your life or a shithead,” said Kargman. “I think it presses the fast forward button on getting to the bottom of that answer, because a lot of people in middle age are kind of at a crossroads, waiting for their kids to fly the coop. And I think if you’re with someone who is not supportive and kind of emotionally checked out or doesn’t tell you you’re still beautiful with that, this might not be your person.”

Jill Kargman on Relationships and Cancer

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

SurvivorNetTV.
Hope. Science.
Inspiration.

WATCH NOW