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“ I wish to be a ballerina.”
Sena , age 4
Iowa Chapter
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Sena’s new dress and ballet bag helped her look the part as she waited backstage for her private dance lesson.

Four-year-old Sena’s face was full of joy as she leaped out of her seat to applaud the beautiful dancers of San Francisco Ballet. But there was more to her joy than just the performance – Sena also knew she’d soon be pirouetting alongside these dancers. Her wish to be a ballerina was about to come true.

Sena, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a form of cancer affecting the eyes, is happiest when she is twirling across a room on her tiptoes. Her room is decorated with ballerinas, and she already has a busy schedule of dance classes. When wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa learned her heartfelt wish, they choreographed a wish that would have Sena walking on air.

If you want to be a ballerina, you need to learn from the pros, so wish-granting volunteers arranged for Sena to travel to San Francisco – on her first airplane flight – to attend one of San Francisco Ballet’s most celebrated performances: “The Nutcracker.” Sena looked dazzling in a new velvet and chiffon party dress and arrived at the show in a limousine.

The dancers welcomed their newest little fan backstage before the show, giving Sena a sneak peak at their glamorous costumes. The ballet company reserved VIP seats for Sena and her family during the show and even treated them with milk and cookies during intermission.

Sena’s wish took her dancing with a star: San Francisco Ballet’s principal ballerina from a performance of “The Nutcracker.”

The fun only continued after the curtain fell on the performance. From under her seat, Sena grabbed her own ballet bag with a new pair of ballet slippers and a pink, ruffled dance outfit tucked inside. After Sena changed into her dance gear, the show’s principal ballerina delighted her with a private dance lesson in the theater’s ballet studio. The two beautiful ballerinas stood hand-in-hand as the teacher showed her student how to stand tall and raise her arms gracefully above her head. The pair twirled around the room, laughing all the way.

During her fairytale trip to San Francisco, Sena and her family got a taste of some of the other sights and sounds the city has to offer. They visited the San Francisco Zoo and ate at the Hard Rock Café. But Sena’s fondest wish memory will always be what it felt like to twirl in a real dance studio, wearing ballet slippers and being a real ballerina.

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Inspired Thoughts

  • Our daughter also has retinoblastoma. Thanks, Sena, for giving us hope that one day she will be dancing like a ballerina, looking as beautiful and healthy as you!
    - Erica 05/31/2007 20:50
  • I think that they are really happy, because they made a wish and that wish came true because of you. Thank you Make-A-Wish Foundation!
    - Octiz 04/10/2007 7:52
  • I think that is cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    - Courtney 04/14/2007 18:01
  • That is Kool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    - Courtney 04/14/2007 18:15
  • As a dancer, I think it would be a lot of fun to meet real ballerina's. This organization is lovely for patients and their families. I hope Sena had lots of fun. :-)
    - Kellie 03/28/2007 8:16
  • Congratulations Sena! What a special experience you had as a ballerina! We are proud of your hard work and bravery. Your mommy loves you very much and this time together in San Francisco is cherished by all of you. God Bless you Sena! Connie
    - Connie Weber 03/20/2007 6:10
  • What a beautiful wish! My 4 year old daughter had retinoblastoma as well, and will be making her wish this month. It looks like you had a lot of fun. Take Care.
    - Michelle 08/23/2007 12:44
  • Hey Sena! You look so beautiful with your pink dance clothes! If I didn't know you, I would think you were a real ballerina! I am also in dance and I LOVE ballet! I want to be a ballerina too! Maybe I will be with you on stage, but you will be the star! Stay strong and be the best dancer you can be! Have a great time Sena! I wish I was there in Iowa with you to see you dance!! Have fun and smile always!!! :)
    - Davin 11/09/2007 21:44
  • I think she is such a cute little ballerina! She is sure to leave a lasting impression on the world!
    - Kayla 10/25/2007 10:27

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