WAYNESBORO — If you’re a 7-year-old girl in America in 2009, attending a Miley Cyrus concert is of paramount importance. It’s a dream come true, whether you’re a healthy girl living in Mississippi or a girl who, like Lexi Tuttle of State Line, has been diagnosed with an illness that curtails many activities enjoyed by girls her age.

Attending one of Cyrus’ concerts that sell out months in advance is not something everyone can do. And having the opportunity to meet the pop star is a rare occurrence for all but a small fraction of her millions of fans. So Lexi, a second-grader at Buckatunna Elementary School is “unbelievably excited,” says her mother Amanda, after learning Monday she will get to do both of those things in two days.

Cyrus, an up-and-coming pop star with several hit records, is the daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus. She is most famous for her role as Hannah Montana on the Disney show by the same name. Either as her alter ego or as herself as she appears in movies and performs music concerts, the multi-talented Cyrus takes over the fantasies of her fans.

Getting a ticket to Cyrus’ already-sold-out Nov. 28 concert at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C., and backstage access to meet Cyrus puts Lexi in the elite status of only a few young girls who have spent one-on-one time with the pop star.

For the family members and other adults present in downtown Waynesboro Monday when Lexi learned the Make-A-Wish Foundation had granted her wish to meet Cyrus, it was a reminder of the way life-changing events can draw a town closer.

Upon learning of the wish “reveal” when she entered the town square with her mother, Lexi, who suffers from a condition called transverse myelitis, could hardly contain her excitement. Surrounded by a large crowd of well-wishers gathered to witness the culmination of over a year of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Lexi was, according to her mother, “speechless for once in her life.”

“She is so excited right now,” said her mother. “This is really a dream come true for her and for me. We are so appreciative to everyone who made this possible.”

Lexi had known for some time about the possibility of meeting Cyrus, says her mother. Since celebrity wishes, or personal meetings with famous stars, are often hard to grant, Make-A-Wish officials asked Lexi to name an alternate desire. Despite being told her wish might be long in coming or might not be granted at all, Lexi remained unwavering in her desire to meet her idol.

“Miley Cyrus is very popular with hundreds of thousands of young girls,” said Beth Holmes, wish coordinator for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Mississippi. “And with the Hannah Montana show coming to an end, there will be no more wishes granted for those who ask to visit the set and see Miley as that character. So it is more difficult now to grant the wishes of so many who want to meet her.”

Holmes said despite Cyrus’ hectic schedule and the end of her Disney show, she is still very committed to granting the wishes of young girls like Lexi. But since Cyrus is only 17 and considered a minor, she is governed by strict child labor laws that curtail the number of hours she can work before or after concerts or publicity events.

Those factors were explained to Lexi, but she remained undeterred in her desire to meet Cyrus despite the delay of over one year.

But then just this week, she learned the meeting with Cyrus is going to happen, and soon, her mother said.

“We will drive to Jackson today and stay in a hotel close to the airport since our flight leaves at 4 a.m. tomorrow,” said Tuttle. “We’ll get the complete itinerary on Friday, but we do know Miley’s concert is Saturday night and Lexi will go backstage afterwards and meet her.”

Lexi was anxious to meet Cyrus because she has been a fan of the show since the age of 4 and likes to sing like Hannah Montana, her mother said. Lexi’s favorite song is “Butterfly,” one of Cyrus’ hits. She has collected all of her music CDs as well as DVDs of her shows and movies.

In the 29 years the national Make-A-Wish Foundation has been granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, millions of dollars has been raised to grant wishes ranging from trips to Disney World to meeting celebrity like Cyrus.