Just weeks after Robert De Niro's grandson Leandro De Niro died, his partner Tiffany Chen has revealed that she's dealing with a scary postpartum complication. In an interview with CBS Mornings, Tiffany shared her Bell's palsy diagnosis with the world for the first time.
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Tiffany sat down with Gayle King to share her story.
After her daughter, Gia, was born in May, Tiffany began experiencing unusual symptoms, including a feeling of numbness in her tongue.
"I realized, like my face just felt weird. I didn't know what the feeling was that I was having. It felt weird," she said.
Then, her face began collapsing, and she quickly realized that something serious was going on.
Tiffany knew something was seriously wrong when she was unable to eat.
"I was trying to eat. I went to put just a fork of food in my mouth, and everything came out. I couldn't eat. And then I was starting to slur," she said.
Her doctor advised her to go to the hospital, and by the time she got there, she had "lost all facial function."
Tiffany will be sharing more details on Friday.
That's when the rest of her interview with Gayle will air, and we'll find out more about how she's doing today and what struggling with Bell's palsy while caring for a newborn has been like.
But given that their family also has been mourning the death of Leo, Robert's grandson, there's no doubt it's been a difficult time for them all.
Postpartum Bell's palsy usually sets in seven to 10 days after birth.
According to the Facial Paralysis Institute, it can cause symptoms such as drooping, loss of a sense of taste, changes in speech, and headaches, among others. If you're postpartum and feeling these symptoms, it's important to see a doctor right away.
Most people with this diagnosis will recover within six months, but only about 52% of women who develop Bell's palsy in pregnancy will make a complete recovery as compared to 80% of other individuals, the institute notes.
Hopefully Tiffany will be able to make a full recovery.
There's no doubt that this must be a stressful time for the new mom — along with her famous partner, who is now a dad to seven children at the age of 79.
The rest of Tiffany's interview is set to air on Friday, July 14, on CBS Mornings.
