Heartbroken singer Celine Dion now leads the medical team caring for her cancer-stricken husband, René Angélil, The National ENQUIRER can reveal.
The superstar, 47, is devoting herself to his care 24/7 as she steels herself for a final holiday season with René, 73, and their three sons, sources said.
“Celine doesn’t take any time for herself. All she does is look after René,” revealed her sister-in-law Denise, who’s married to Celine’s oldest brother, Clément.
“There are medical staff in the house, but it’s Celine who leads. They are the experts and take care of all the medical issues, of course, but Celine is on top of everything.
“She knows exactly what is going on. She just wants the very best for René.”
René’s health recently improved, and he was able to leave the family compound in Las Vegas to watch the couple’s 14-year-old son, René-Charles, play with his ice hockey team.
René was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 1999, and had a tumor removed.
He had throat surgery again in December 2013, and is now fed through a tube.
After taking a year’s hiatus from her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to care for him, Celine made an emotional return to her show in late August, as The ENQUIRER reported.
She’s now on a holiday break from her residency at Caesars, and is expected return on Dec. 30.
“René wants Celine to continue working her residency,” said her brother Clément.
“He wants her to get outside the home and have her singing to concentrate on.
“I think it has helped her, too. Celine knows René is sick, but it’s been good for her to have something to focus on, and she’s happy he made an improvement.”
René discovered Celine when she was 12, and became her talent manager. They married in December 1994.
His illness has been harder on their son, René-Charles, than his younger siblings, 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy, said Celine’s brother.
“Fortunately, the twins are quite young,” Clement added. “My mom, Therese, has been worried about Celine, of course, but they speak two or three times a week.”
Celine’s family, including her 13 siblings, is praying René will be well enough to celebrate the holidays with Celine and their sons, said Clément and Denise, who live in Laval, Quebec.
Their home is just yards from the mansion where Grammy-winner Celine and René once lived, but are now trying to sell for around $30 million.
Denise added: “All the family has been praying for René’s recovery. It’s been hard on everybody.”
