Strangers Throw Prom for Girl After Bullies Forced Her to Miss Her Own
A 16-year-old girl got her own prom after missing her school’s prom due to bullying.
Shannon Purcifer was taunted by bullies for years for suffering from ulcerative colitis, a form of bowel disease.
The student, who lives in Gosport, England, decided not to attend her school prom last month because she was unable to face her bullies.
Shannon’s story came to the public eye in June after her mother, Claire Carstens, posted a photo of her daughter wearing her gorgeous prom dress on Facebook. “If Shannon had gone to prom tonight she would of worn this beautiful dress,” her mom wrote in the caption. “Thanks to nasty vile bullies shannon decided she didn’t want to go and mix with scum that made her so miserable. For a girl that has had so much to deal with in life….coeliac disease, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, she is one strong young lady with an even stronger mind!! Love you girl.”
She also asked for people’s help to give Shannon the prom that she deserved. Hundreds came forward to offer their support.
On Saturday, 120 bikers escorted Shannon to a prom that had been created especially for her. More than 100 friends and family members also attended the celebration, equipped with a buffet and a dance floor.
Shannon was finally able to wear her prom dress, accessorizing it with a tiara and a corsage that carried a picture of her late father, who died in 2007, serving in the Royal Navy in Germany.
“It was better than I could ever have imagined,” Shannon said. “It was far better than if I had gone to my own school prom.
“There was lots of dancing, and I generally just had an amazing time. There were people there I’d never even met who had gone out of their way to help me. It was really emotional.”
Shannon’s mother said there was “no better way to stick two fingers up at bullies than to go out and enjoy yourself.”
“The night [Shannon] was supposed to go to her prom, she just did nothing. She tried the dress on, but it was heartbreaking for her to choose not to go,” Carstens added.
“She had been looking forward to it for months and we bought the dress as far back as February, but the bullying got so bad, she knew she wouldn’t enjoy it if she went.”
We’re so happy that Shannon now has a fond prom memory to look back on.
Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.
