Known for his participations in Double Occupancy in 2021 and 2025, Antoine Normandin today makes some moving confessions. The 31-year-old lives with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease that causes progressive vision deterioration and can lead to blindness, just like his brother.
In a report granted to Montreal JournalAntoine reveals that he and his older brother, Cédérick Normandin, have both inherited the gene responsible for the disease that will one day make them blind. They want to enjoy life before losing their sight.
Rather than letting himself be defeated, the former reality TV candidate has chosen to take full advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to him. “If someone offers me a trip, I say yes without hesitation,” he explained. In recent months, Antoine has traveled extensively around the world, particularly for conventions related to Pokémon cards and for his content on Twitch. He even claims to have had to renew his passport because there was no longer enough space for the prints.
The two brothers, sons of Messmer, also continue their shows as Somnibrothers. Cédérick, the eldest, has also changed his lifestyle a lot to maintain his health as much as possible.
Although they don’t know how much time they have left before their vision deteriorates further, Antoine and Cédérick prefer to focus their energies on the present.
Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare genetic disease that affects approximately one in 3,500 people and causes a gradual loss of visual field and night vision.
For the brothers, it’s a bad lottery. Both of their parents passed on the gene for the disease. However, they do everything in their power to enjoy life.
