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Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine”

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Massachusetts teen with cerebral palsy crowned prom queen at “Night to Shine”


AVON, Mass. — A 17-year-old Avon girl who has cerebral palsy and was given a 10-percent chance to live at birth was crowned prom queen in a night of dancing and fun for people with special needs.

Hannah Delorey, who is non-verbal, beamed as she strutted down the red carpet to applause Friday night at “Night to Shine 2024,” sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted locally by Grace Church in Avon.

Hundreds of volunteers helped make the event magical for the guests who enjoyed dancing, karaoke and a photo booth.

An 18-year-old boy who is a friend of the family volunteered to be Hannah’s buddy for the unforgettable evening.

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“Having disabilities and being non-verbal, it’s hard for her to feel included just in society – she’s always the outcast,” Hannah’s mother, Jessie Delorey said. “To be able to go to an event catered toward her and surrounded by people like her, and have that love and understanding of the challenges she has, makes her feel amazing… She feels proud that she’s being celebrated.”

When Hannah was born, she suffered multiple seizures and 40 percent brain loss. Her mother and father were told to prepare themselves to be leaving the hospital without their daughter.

“Here we are, first-time parents, and I remember sitting in the NICU with my husband, Mitch, and I said, ‘Our life is forever changed, and our job right now is to give Hannah the best opportunities for her to live her best life, whatever that might be.’”

Hannah not only survived but has thrived beyond all odds over her 17 years. She has played adaptive baseball, joined a cheerleading squad, participated in the Special Olympics, taken a dance class and done strength training in adaptive fitness classes.

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“She inspires me every single day to see how hard she works despite all her challenges,” Jessie said. “It doesn’t stop her. Her ambition and her level of life, it’s just so amazing to see her thriving.”

While Hannah’s parents have made sure she has access to and inclusion in everything she wants in life, it’s Hannah herself who has provided the most profound life lessons to the adults around her.

“Hannah has taught me what true strength and determination are,” Jessie said. “She has taught me how to truly communicate without ever speaking a word. She has taught me patience – in more ways than one – and she has taught me to find joy through the good and bad.”

Jessie says her daughter has also taught her there is a range of abilities in the world and “no one ‘right’ way of walking, talking, playing or basically doing anything.”

And Jessie believes the way her daughter leads her life proves anything is possible.

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“Hannah has taught me that we should never put limits on what she can accomplish,” Jessie said. “She amazes us all the time. We don’t care what her MRI looks like or what a medical professional tells us about her future. She is incredible, resilient and amazing.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Mass. snowfall totals: Which communities got the most snow this weekend?

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Mass. snowfall totals: Which communities got the most snow this weekend?


Snow fell across Massachusetts overnight on Saturday and throughout Sunday morning thanks for a fast-moving low pressure system, according to the National Weather Service.

The snowfall is expected to continue into and through the afternoon in many communities, lasting longer in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, the weather service said. Southeastern Massachusetts is predicted to see 2 to 4 inches of snow, with cities and towns closest to the coast getting up to 6 inches. A winter weather advisory is set to remain in effect in these counties until 7 p.m. Sunday.

  • Read more: Mass. weather: Snowy Sunday with dangerous, arctic cold to follow

As of the early afternoon on Sunday, no communities had received more than 4 inches, according to the weather service. Falmouth and Dennis recorded getting the most snow so far at 4 inches as of 3:15 p.m.

Here are the snow totals for Massachusetts as of mid-afternoon on Sunday. This article will be updated throughout the day.

4+ inches of snow

3+ inches of snow

  • Bourne
  • Centerville (Barnstable)
  • Hyannis (Barnstable)
  • Mashpee
  • Plymouth
  • Sandwich

2+ inches of snow

  • Acushnet
  • Brewster
  • Chatham
  • Dartmouth
  • East Longmeadow
  • Fairhaven
  • Harwich
  • Kingston
  • Marstons Mills (Barnstable)
  • Mattapoisett
  • Nantucket
  • Oak Bluffs
  • Orange
  • Petersham
  • Sturbridge
  • Truro
  • Vineyard Haven
  • Wareham
  • Warren
  • West Tisbury
  • Yarmouth

1+ inches of snow

  • Acton
  • Ashburnham
  • Barre
  • Bedford
  • Berkley
  • Brighton (Boston)
  • Charlton
  • Chicopee
  • Dennis
  • Dighton
  • Dover
  • Fitchburg
  • Freetown
  • Gardner
  • Grafton
  • Holden
  • Holliston
  • Hubbardston
  • Ipswich
  • Leominster
  • Lexington
  • Lowell
  • Marshfield
  • Milton
  • New Bedford
  • North Attleborough
  • Norton
  • Orleans
  • Osterville (Barnstable)
  • Pepperell
  • Rochester
  • Somerset
  • Swansea
  • Tewksbury
  • Tyngsborough
  • Westborough
  • Westport
  • Wilbraham
  • Wilmington



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Snow lingers today, below-zero wind chills Monday morning – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Snow lingers today, below-zero wind chills Monday morning – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


Good morning! We’ve got snow on tap for today, which will linger most of the day and night across southeastern Massachusetts. We’ll dry out in the early evening for most of the rest of eastern Massachusetts, with north central Massachusetts drying out the quickest.

Snow will be widespread throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. As we get to the late afternoon, snow becomes more isolated over central Massachusetts but is still hanging around the coast, southeast Mass. and the Cape and islands.

Into the evening, the snow will become ocean-enhanced over southeast Mass. and the Cape/islands.

That’s where totals will be the highest.

4 to 6 inches of snow is expected there by late Sunday night.

For the rest of us, just a chance for a few inches.

After this storm it’s all about the cold wind. Monday’s lows will drop to the teens with highs in the mid 20s. But a biting wind will make it feel only like the negative single digits in the morning and the teens in the afternoon. Bundle up! At least the sun will be out.

Tuesday is looking mostly sunny and not windy. Lows will drop to the teens with highs in the low 30s. Wednesday, breezy again with a start in the 20s and afternoon temperatures mild in the low 40s. Thursday will be downright warm! We’ll hit the upper 40s with chances for rain in the evening. Friday we’ll reach the low 50s with chances of rain in the morning. Saturday looks dry, partly sunny with highs back to near normal in the mid 30s.

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Kitchen countertops linked to Massachusetts man’s deadly diagnosis

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Kitchen countertops linked to Massachusetts man’s deadly diagnosis


FILE – A man is using a special electric saw to cut a granite counter in a residential kitchen in preparation for installing a new range top. Getty Images

A Massachusetts man has been diagnosed with a life-altering lung disease linked to popular kitchen countertops. 

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed this week that its first case of silicosis had been diagnosed in a Hispanic man in his 40s who, for the past 14 years, worked for stone countertop fabrication and installation companies. 

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What is silicosis? 

Big picture view:

Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica, which is found naturally in granite and other stones. Silicosis can become progressively disabling and sometimes prove fatal. It almost always results from work-related exposures.

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Dig deeper:

Silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissue, causing inflammation and scarring and reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen, according to OSHA. 

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Symptoms:

Symptoms of silicosis can include shortness of breath, cough and fatigue. Workers exposed to airborne crystalline silica also are at increased risk for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease. 

What they’re saying:

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“Silicosis is a devastating, life-altering disease – and one that is also absolutely preventable,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Massachusetts employers in industries where workers are exposed to silica dust have a responsibility to protect their workforce, including from harmful airborne dust. No worker should have to suffer from a chronic and insidious lung disease or possibly die because of a preventable exposure at work.”

 Tanning beds could triple melanoma risk, new study finds

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Countertop disease

Big picture view:

Crystalline silica commonly occurs in nature as the mineral quartz, and is found in granite, sandstone, quartzite, various other rocks and sand. Cutting, grinding, chipping, sanding, drilling and polishing these natural and manufactured stones can release various levels of crystalline silica dust particles that can be inhaled if proper protections aren’t in place.

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Dig deeper:

Engineered or manufactured stone, also commonly called quartz, is particularly problematic since it has more crystalline silica than natural stone. 

By the numbers:

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For example, the average percent of crystalline silica in engineered stone is at least 90% in quartz and engineered stone, vs. a 10-45% makeup in granite, according to an OSHA hazard alert

What you can do:

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Certain engineering controls, such as water spraying systems or remote-controlled tools, can be used to mitigate risk, as well as by wearing proper respiratory protection. 

Silica cases in the U.S.

Big picture view:

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Most engineered stone workers with silicosis in the U.S. were exposed to silica at their jobs for over ten years, although some were exposed for less time.

The backstory:

The first reported case of silicosis in the U.S. associated with exposure to silica dust from engineered stone was identified in Texas in 2014, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Since then, other states have reported hundreds of cases, and dozens of deaths, particularly in California. 

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Dig deeper:

In the U.S., most engineered stone workers with silicosis are relatively young, male, and Hispanic/Latino. This largely reflects the demographic composition of this industry’s workforce.

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In 2023, over half of workers in this industry were under 45 years old, nearly three-quarters were men, and more than 1 in 3 were Hispanic/Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Source: Information in this article was taken from a Dec. 9, 2025, alert from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Background information was taken from OSHA. This story was reported from Detroit. 

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