Eleven-year-old Jeremiah Jeffers can neither walk nor talk.

Jeremiah suffers from cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects muscle control and coordination. He is confined to a wheelchair.

Jeremiah’s grandmother, Cindy Jeffers, raises him and his 5-year-old brother, Aiden, in a single-floor home on Hathaway Street.

The bathroom is too small for Jeremiah's needs. The door does not open all the way. The room is so small that Cindy Jeffers struggles to get Jeremiah into the tub.

Making things more trying, Cindy Jeffers suffers from Lupus, a disease that affects the joints, skin, and other organs. She has difficulty moving Jeremiah from location to location. She needs surgery on her hands, but the long recovery period would leave her unable to help her grandson.

Loving neighbor Paula Barros and her husband, Charlie, assist the family on a daily basis with everything from taking out the trash and mowing the lawn, dropping off and picking up laundry at the laundromat, and helping Jeremiah board the school bus.

Cindy Jeffers is a stickler for cleanliness, and spends about $70 to $80 a week on laundry.

"She just wants to make him as comfortable as possible," said Barros. "She's such a good person. A loving person. She loves these kids dearly," she said, adding, "I'm really attached to them now."

Barros hopes an upcoming benefit will raise enough funds to provide things that will make life more comfortable for the family.

"No little boy should live with such a devastating illness on top of inadequate living conditions," said Barros. "Jeremiah gets more kindness and more love than a heart can hold, but he needs more."

Barros is holding "Dance for Life," a benefit for Jeremiah, on Sunday, October 7, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Redman's Hall, 758 Main Street. Tickets are $10. Music will be provided by DJ Lady K.

Barros hopes the proceeds from the fundraiser will help the family with three things: Purchasing a hydraulic lift, which will pick Jeremiah up, so that Cindy Jeffers can move Jeremiah by pushing the lift around the house; Expanding the bathroom to provide more space for Jeremiah’s needs; Building an additional small room, so a washer and dryer can be installed.

To buy tickets, call Paula Barros at 508-944-5392, Emily Baptiste at 508-295-1097, or Dolores Sequeira at 774-766-0959.

Donations are tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the Jeremiah Jeffers Fund at Eastern Bank. The address for Eastern Bank is PO Box 431, Wareham, MA, 02571.