Undeterred by cerebral palsy , New Bedford woman faces new health challenge

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John Garcia/Standard-Times special Tiffany DeBarros, who suffers from a neuroendocrine disease in addition to cerebral palsy, does not give in, and still manages a beautiful smile.

By JOHN GARCIA

March 17, 2013 12:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD Tiffany DeBarros never let the fact that she was born with cerebral palsy get her down.

She was in the top 20 percent of her class at Greater New Bedford Vocational-Technical High School, where she participated in a number of activities and graduated in 2005. And last May, she earned a master's degree in counseling from the University of Connecticut and looked forward to a fulfilling career in her chosen field.

Even though DeBarros, 26, had struggled with a variety of puzzling ailments for the past seven years, she persevered. With a pair of Canadian crutches the kind with cuffs for the arms she forged on.

Then, in October, her health took a sharp decline that marked the beginning of a three-month period of stays in various hospitals, rehab facilities, and nursing homes. Her muscles became so weakened that she couldn't walk. Finally, in January, she was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine illness, a pituitary and hypothalamic disorder. Doctors are still trying to determine what form she has, she said.

Her condition has essentially left her confined to a wheelchair, and the independent life she once led has come to a crashing halt. Her family's New Bedford home is not handicapped accessible, she can't get in or out on her own, and with the bathroom on the second floor, she must make do with stopgap measures.

While her family has been able to get a $30,000 loan from BBL Home Improvement to help retrofit the house, that won't cover all expenses, she said. So on April 13, friends and family will rally around her at "Stay Tough For Tiff," a fundraising buffet dinner.

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Undeterred by cerebral palsy , New Bedford woman faces new health challenge