VIDEO: A remarkable 12-year-old Warrington girl has received an extraordinary surprise from one of the biggest names in rock music after her appearance at the prestigious WellChild Awards.
Sofia Dobson, from Warrington, was honoured at Monday night’s national WellChild Awards in London, where she also had the opportunity to meet Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, patron of WellChild. But there was an extra special moment waiting for the young Metallica fan.
Sofia’s mum, Sarah, revealed that her daughter had shown Prince Harry photographs from when she previously met Metallica, proudly sharing her passion for the legendary heavy metal band.
And Sofia’s love of Metallica clearly didn’t go unnoticed.
Following the awards, Metallica frontman James Hetfield sent Sofia a special virtual video message, personally congratulating her.
It is the kind of rock ‘n’ roll moment that most fans could only dream about – and for Sofia, it provided another unforgettable chapter to an already extraordinary week.
Sofia’s mum said her daughter had also given Prince Harry and his family a Metallica bracelet each when they met.
The encounter between Sofia and Prince Harry was captured during the WellChild Awards, with coverage of the event noting that she showed him a book featuring memories from the time she met Metallica.
A remarkable young Warringtonian
Sofia was nominated for the WellChild Awards by her mum Sarah in recognition of her extraordinary courage, determination and positivity.
She survived a catastrophic stroke at birth, despite doctors believing she was unlikely to survive, and lives with complex medical needs.
According to WellChild, Sofia has continued to overcome significant challenges while also campaigning for greater inclusion for disabled children.
She has written to the Prime Minister and the King about inclusion, raises money for childhood stroke survivors and saves her pocket money to buy Christmas presents for children spending Christmas in hospital.
Her mum Sarah said: “Sofia inspires me every single day with her strength, determination and kind heart.”
The 2026 WellChild Awards were held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on September 21, bringing together children, families, healthcare professionals and supporters to celebrate the achievements of children living with complex medical needs.
For Sofia, however, there was clearly another very special memory to take home – a personal message from Metallica’s James Hetfield.
And judging by her reaction, this Warrington youngster has certainly got plenty of rock ‘n’ roll to go with her remarkable determination.
