When Alisha Adams was 5, she began jotting down words in hopes of putting together a song. From then on, she dreamed of the day to see her lyrics sung. On Friday, the Wright City fifth-grade student got a surprise wish. Two local musicians, Bill Rowe and Corey Webb, members of the Avenue of Saints band, performed two songs that Alisha wrote in front of the entire fifth-grade class. It was a chance to recognize Alisha, who has been battling brain cancer for nearly half of her life, and to give her an opportunity to participate in a fifth-grade promotion ceremony of sorts. Since being diagnosed in 2004 at the age of 6, she has endured six brain surgeries, the last occurring just last month as she sports a noticeable scar and half-shaven head. She has undergone regular bouts of chemotherapy and other treatments, but the cancer has continued to progress and has reached a terminal stage. Despite the prognosis, Alisha has kept a positive outlook on her life. "She's taught me the value of life," said Elizabeth Adams, Alisha's mother. "She is a true blessing. She has taught me how to be strong and how to live." Knowing of Alisha's love of writing, school nurse Melinda Juergensmeyer contacted the local musicians. When hearing of Alisha's ordeal, Rowe and Tobias jumped at the chance to perform in front of the fifth-grade class. They also presented her with a stuffed teddy bear wearing the band's T-shirt and the typed musical arrangement. The two songs, titled "Daddyz Gurl" and "Lookin' in Your Eyes," are about how she misses her dad who is no longer around. The opening lyrics of "Daddyz Gurl" are: "Daddy, when I close my eyes, I see your face and the memories rush right through my mind and all I wanna do is have my daddy with me." "We jumped on the opportunity," Rowe said. "The words she wrote are some of the most passionate we've ever sung." So the band played, the students clapped along and Alisha, sitting in a wheelchair, took it all in. So what was her reaction to the surprise concert? "It was really good," Alisha said. "It was cool." Despite sporadic appearances at school, Alisha has managed to keep up with her schoolwork as best as she could. Prior to the last surgery, Suzie Busekrus, a retired teacher who is providing homebound services, spent at least five hours a week teaching Alisha at St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis following treatments. While watching over Friday's performance, tears swelled in Busekrus' eyes. "She's an amazing little girl," she said. Alisha's determination has been an inspiration for her mother and stepdad, David. "I can't believe I have someone as special as her," Elizabeth Adams said. Though it remains uncertain if Alisha will be able to be alongside her classmates when they advance to sixth grade, her will to live has certainly caught the attention of the students and her teachers. Classmate Elaina Holstein, reading a letter she wrote for Alisha, said, "She is a warrior and a fighter."