TWO inspirational teenagers wore their perfect prom dresses thanks to an Andover woman who is helping girls attend their school ball.

Leyla McCauley and Kelly Blundy benefited from Andover Free Prom Dress Loan, set up by mother-of-two Kate Lambert, who wants to ensure every girl can go to their prom.

The dresses are donated by members of the public, and then loaned to girls who might struggle to buy or find a prom dress.

For Kelly, her prom was the chance to have fun after a horrific few years, during which she was diagnosed with cancer along with both her mum and dad.

The 16-year-old from Andover was devastated when her father Chris, 54, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017.

Little did she know that in November the same year, she would be facing her own cancer battle.

Her mother, Diane, explained: “Kelly had this really nasty cough so I took her to the doctor and they asked if there was anything she was worried about and she burst into tears and said ‘I think I have got cancer’. The doctor said ‘don’t be silly’.”

But with Kelly’s cough refusing to go away, Diane took her back to the doctor who referred her to hospital. Tests revealed she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, with a 17-inch mass found in her chest. The teenager endured chemotherapy over Christmas and into the new year, losing her hair from the treatment.

She said: “It was scary but where my dad had already been through it, he could help me.”

Then her family was hit with another devastating blow when Diane was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2018.

To add to their heartache, Diane lost her mother in June 2018 after she too developed cancer.

Chris, Diane and Kelly are now all receiving regular check-ups, and the end-of-year prom was a moment of joy for the family following a tough few years.

Kate enabled Kelly to find a last-minute prom dress, after she changed her mind about going, initially deciding not to because of school bullies.

Diane, 49, who has three other daughters, said: “Kate was absolutely lovely. She just opened up her house and said pick what you like.”

The mother-of-four said she was so proud of Kelly on her prom day, adding: “I had mixed emotions because the day of her prom was a year to the day we buried my mum so it was really emotional.

“Having seen her go through chemo, she was such a trooper and if she had chemo in the morning she would be in school in the afternoon. She wasn’t going to let cancer and treatment ruin her life.”

Kelly, a Winton Academy pupil, is now looking ahead to her future and plans to attend Basingstoke College of Technology to study catering said of her prom: “It was really nice because it was the last time I would be with everyone at school and have a great time.”

Leyla and her family were also supported by Kate.

Sixteen-year-old Leyla has a motor disorder and in order to shop for a prom dress, her mother Fatma would have to find somewhere with suitable changing facilities including a hoist.

The mother-of-two said Kate made the whole experience so much easier, coming to the family’s Andover home with her dresses.

“It wasn’t so much the cost it was the logistics,” explained Fatma, adding: “Kate made my life very easy. I went from panic to solution and I’m so grateful to Kate and all the people who donated their prom dresses.”

Leyla, a pupil at Treloar School in Alton, chose a ball dress in her favourite colour yellow.

A proud Fatma said: “She looked absolutely beautiful.”