For most little girls - ballet is just a fun hobby, but for one - it is that and so much more.

By all accounts, Mariah Thompson is just a normal 4 year old girl – with a smile on her face, giggling with friends in ballet slippers and a tutu.

But one year ago, that same little girl was diagnosed with ALL leukemia - making twirls on the dance floor seem like a fairytale.

“We just celebrated her 1 year anniversary, which sounds silly but I’m celebrating it because I didn’t know at the time if I’d have her for another week much less another year,” Bonnie Thompson, Mariah’s mother shared with NewsChannel 5.

Life hasn’t been easy for the Thompsons. Up until last August, Bonnie had been living with her daughter in Seattle so Mariah could undergo treatment for her ALL Leukemia - a fast-growing, life-threatening cancer of the white blood cells requiring an intensive combination of treatments. Meanwhile, her husband and 5 other children stayed behind in Montana. But Bonnie says the kindness of strangers has been a blessing to her and her 8-member family.

“The Optimist Club has been involved with us since we got back to Great Falls. And they have helped us in every way, at every turn, starting with paying our first ambulance bill.”

After moving back home to Geraldine over the summer, kindness from the community, captivated by Mariah’s story, seemed to come in droves - From Denver Mattress and Ecklunds giving her a brand new bed along with antimicrobial sheets – to Home Depot donating a $500 gift card.

And a new tradition started, with Bonnie and Mariah making the trip to Miss Linda’s Dance Studio in Great Falls every Wednesday, thanks to a one year scholarship provided by the studio.

“It was recommended by therapists that she would do physical therapy of this type to keep her muscles limber. And also socially, she looks forward to it every week,” explained Bonnie.

A week ago, little Mariah and her family returned from the trip of a lifetime - An all expense paid vacation to Disney World, thanks to the Make – a – Wish Foundation and help from the Great Falls Optimist Club.

“I went on the Tower of Terror, meet princesses, I went on rides, and a treehouse, and the castle,” shared Mariah.

Added Tenesha, Mariah’s older sister, “Going to Disney World was definitely an escape from all of the medical stuff.. and seeing Mariah in pain, it was nice to see her just do something that she loved doing.”

Right now, Mariah is currently in what is called the maintenance stage. She continues to undergo daily treatment and makes the trip to Seattle every 3 months for chemo.

Doctors say that Mariah has a very good prognosis - and the family is anticipating a complete cure.