A battle over a final resting place fit for a princess has left a mum determined to grant her disabled daughters last wish.Alycia McKee was born with Downs syndrome and fought against the odds all her life, before she died last year, aged 18. Her mum, Penni Hall, who lives in Torrington, vowed to decorate her grave with a princess castle. Penni said her daughter, who lived in Exmouth, was being denied her fairytale headstone because St Margaret & St Andrews Church in Littleham would not accept the design. Penni, 41, said churchyard regulations at the church, where Alycia was buried, forbid the fairy castle design because it was not in keeping with the other headstones. She has set up an online petition in a bid to urge the Diocese of Exeter to reconsider. Penni said the church needed to move with the times and accept a headstone that would reflect her daughters personality. She said: When I go back to see her, I want to be able to smile that shes got what she wanted a princess castle. This is my last fight for her, to get what she wants. To succeed would mean everything. I fought for her right in life not to be discriminated against for having Downs syndrome and I will fight for her now, although she is gone. Penni said because the headstone was carved into turrets and not rectangluar, the church would not allow it. A spokeswoman for the Diocese of Exeter said the existing design fell outside churchyard regulations and needed to be referred to the diocese for consideration. She said: Regulations over what headstones can be put up in churchyards exist in order to keep them as places of peace and beauty for everyone to enjoy. A memorial that might be suitable for an urban, civic cemetery may look out of place near an historic church building. The diocese has a responsibility to make sure that the churchyard remains an appropriate setting for a parish church for the next several hundred years. Find the petition, which has gathered worldwide support, at: www.change.org/p/chancellor-of-the-diocese-castle-headstone-for-my-sleeping-princessFor more North Devon stories visit our news feed here.
