ELDRIDGE, Iowa — Dozens of little dancers in Eldridge, Iowa geared up for a big performance today to help grant the wishes of other kids.

Tina’s dance studio hosted their annual holiday spectacular dance show. It’s an 11-year tradition.

How one dancer has benefited from make-a-wish when she was fighting for her life more than a decade ago. 

“Tina invited me to come watch the same dance they did at the beginning of the show and right when I saw them in their red dresses I knew I wanted to be like them when I was older,” said cancer survivor Megan Sacia.

It was Megan Sacia’s dream to dance this number.

But she never imagined dancing on this very stage like these kids are. That’s because at 2 years old she was fighting for her life.

“When I was diagnosed it was a lot of stress for me and my family,” said Sacia.

Sacia accomplished that dream a few years ago. Now she’s an assistant coach and cancer-survivor. Something her coach Tina Lindle can relate to.

“I’m a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with melanoma when I was 27 and I had a newborn baby and it was a life-changing experience, ” Tina’s Dance Studio owner Tina Lindle.

After Lindle’s diagnosis she made it her mission to help people understand what kids battling life-threatening diseases are going through.

That’s when she created an annual holiday dance show to collect money for the Iowa Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

“It’s important for these kids to understand how fortunate they are, to be grateful and not take things for granted and this a way to give back to another child who isn’t able to be here today,” said Lindle.

As a Make-A-Wish recipient, Sacia values that importance.

“Make-a-wish granted me the wish to see the princesses, it was like the best thing ever because it was my dream to go see them because they were what I watch everyday at the hospital,” said Sacia.

The recital, Sacia once dreamed being a part of, is now one that helps grant kids their wishes. And she’s lucky to help her coach continue to pay it forward.

“These wishes that people are granted change their lives and they change the whole perspective they have on their cancer experience. It just makes them feel a lot better and more positive about it and it’s just a great way out of the hospital and doing exactly what they want,” said Sacia.

All the money collected today will go to the make-a-wish foundation. In the last ten years, the studio has been able to raise $53,000 dollars.