One of the highlights of being a high school student is prom. This marks the end of the school year and also an act of sending off students into adulthood and new whole new life. Every student is preparing for this day such as choosing the best outfit, to buy flowers, to look for a date, and more.
This one student from Hampshire, England always look forward to going to her prom. Unfortunately, the 16-year-old, Shannon Purcifer, didn’t get to go after some bullies tried to crush her dream. Until a little help came from kind-hearted friends and strangers.
Shannon suffers several diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis (rectal intestinal inflammation) and coeliac disease.
For this teenager, prom was going to be an amazing farewell to high school. She had chosen her white prom dress with great care. However, when the big day came, Shannon chose to stay home. The reason? Shannon’s classmates bullied her about her illnesses so much that she felt like she couldn’t go.
On Facebook, her mother, Claire Carstens wrote about the incident:
“If Shannon had gone to prom tonight she would of worn this beautiful dress. 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”
The mother’s post immediately went viral and soon, friends, acquaintances and strangers started a fund for Shannon. They came up with an idea to throw a prom for Shannon where her friends and acquaintances could celebrate with her.
“This isn’t all about bad mouthing the school but the school certainly needs to sort out bullying as soon as they are aware of it. This is about showing all those nasty bullies that they won’t win and also showing anyone that is being bullied, there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Shannon’s mom explained.
According to Newsner, Shannon’s private prom was held at St. Vincent College and was a super success! It started with 120 bikers from a local motorcycle club called Gosport Scooter Club showing up at Shannon’s house. They wanted to show her support and escort her to the party. Around 100 people gathered at the prom, both friends, and strangers. Together, they put together an elegant party with a buffet and a disco ball on the ceiling. It was an unforgettable evening for Shannon and everyone who attended.
Hopefully, Shannon’s story would be an encouragement especially to those who experience such traumatic incident. Remember, “good always prevails and the bullies can never win.”
Watch the video below:
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