Last year wasn’t easy for brave Progeria sufferer Ashanti Smith – whose rare condition has cruelly ravaged her body leaving her suffering from the same debilitating ailments as an 80-year-old woman.

The 11 year old - who suffers stiff joints, wrinkled skin, hair loss and stunted growth and also struggles to walk, made headlines when she was left devastated after being banned from wearing her favourite purple wig to school.

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And just months earlier, her father Albi Elliott, 44 - who split from Ashanti's mum Phoebe in 2010- was jailed for stealing £3,500 of the charity money intended to take his daughter on a dream trip to Florida to swim with dolphins.

So Closer decided to treat Ashanti and her doting mother Phoebe, 29, to a special day out.

Animal lover Ashanti has always dreamed of working with dogs so her first treat was a trip to Windmill Farm Boarding Kennels in Surrey where they fed and played with the pups. They were then driven by limo to the Head To Toe Beauty Salon in West Sussex for a relaxing pamper.

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“I loved the dogs," beams Ashanti. “I made friends with a Landseer Newfoundland called Henry- I wanted to take him home! And I felt like a princess riding in the limo.”

Phoebe tells Closer: “Seeing Ashanti so happy made my day."

To read the full article, and for more real life stories don’t miss our 24-page Real Life special inside the latest issue of Closer, it’s a goody! On sale now!

****(Chauffeur and Jaguar XJ Limousine were supplied by Wilcox Limousines. Visit Limousines.co.uk)