A Texas mother admits she helped her daughter win tickets in a contest by writing an essay falsely claiming the girl’s father had died in a roadside bombing in Iraq.

Priscilla Ceballos apologized Friday by reading a statement on NBC’s Today Show.

She said she just got caught up in trying to help her daughter “realize her dream of seeing Hannah Montana.

“Instead I brought so much negative attention to my family,” she said. “Please accept my heartfelt apology and please do not punish my child for my mistake.”

Ceballos also apologized to the military and military families.

“I just wanted to help my daughter write a compelling story,” she said. “There is no more compelling story than the struggle and sacrifices of our military and their families.”

The essay — which featured the opening line, “My daddy died this year in Iraq” — won the grand prize in a contest, sponsored by Chicago-based chain Club Libby Lu.

The prize included airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to a sold-out Hannah Montana concert there, as well as a makeover that included a blonde Hannah Montana wig.

After Ceballos admitted to store officials that the essay information was untrue, the prize was awarded to another unnamed contestant.

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