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Prom night arranged for seriously ill Stafford girl

A mum has been able to arrange a prom night for her seriously ill 11-year-old daughter thanks to the help of strangers. Penny, from Stafford, has a condition called Sanfilippo Syndrome for which there is currently no cure. Her family say she is losing her ability to walk, so time is limited to organise the dance. Her mother Kelly said she put out an appeal for help on social media, but "didn't think anything would come of it to be honest". "[The prom] has just given us something to look forward to rather than sitting and worrying about things", she added. Kelly said: "Since October we've noticed a decline in [Penny's] mobility and we'd really like to be able to get that chance to dance with her at a prom." Because of her declining condition, Penny's family do not want to wait until her 16th birthday and plan to hold the event next August, for her 13th birthday instead. Preparations started two weeks ago when the Moat House hotel at Acton Trussell near Stafford offered the family a function room for free. It was their suggestion to make an appeal on social media and Kelly said: "Within 24 hours I was just inundated with local businesses and people just wanting to support and make th

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Mar 17, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet report
Prom night arranged for seriously ill Stafford girl

A mum has been able to arrange a prom night for her seriously ill 11-year-old daughter thanks to the help of strangers. Penny, from Stafford, has a condition called Sanfilippo Syndrome for which there is currently no cure. Her family say…

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Mar 17, 2026·BBCT2 · Outlet reportLATEST
Prom night arranged for seriously ill Stafford girl

A mum has been able to arrange a prom night for her seriously ill 11-year-old daughter thanks to the help of strangers. Penny, from Stafford, has a condition called Sanfilippo Syndrome for which there is currently no…

Read original at BBC →

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What this story stands on. Tier 0 is a primary record or the subject's own words; higher tiers must be attributed, never stated as bare fact.

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T2 · Outlet reportBBCMar 17, 2026

A mum has been able to arrange a prom night for her seriously ill 11-year-old daughter thanks to the help of strangers. Penny, from Stafford, has a condition called Sanfilippo Syndrome for which there is currently no cure. Her family say…

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Tier key: T0 = Primary source · T1 = Wire · T2 = Outlet report · T3 = Commentary

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