By Katie Kaplan, WCTV

October 22, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- A local woman's life-long dream of going on the long-running game show 'The Price is Right' recently became a reality. Melba Littles had to keep her secret for months until her episode aired on Tuesday. While she won big, she said the opportunity meant more than just money and prizes.

"I always wanted to be on The Price is Right, ever since I was a little girl," she told reporter Katie Kaplan.

It was a dream that was spawned out of a harsh reality. A childhood battle with cancer that left Melba permanently disabled.

"I couldn't go outside and play a lot with the other kids and stuff, so I was pretty much laid up in the house and TV became like my friend," she said. "I always loved watching The Price is Right."

It was dream that she was able to make a reality on a trip to Los Angeles in August.

"I had a feeling," said her husband Vince. "I was just really praying that it wasn't me, that it was her because i wouldn't have made it that far."

Vince is Melba's biggest fan and supporter. He brought her to LA three times to try to get on the show and watched as her name was finally called.

"People always say, 'you can't do this,' because of her condition, but she's done all the things she wants to do," he said.

He can be seen in the show footage celebrating by giving strangers high fives as Melba won game after game. In all, she won a ping-pong table, a trip to South Africa, a bonus $1,000 through a spin of the wheel, and eventually the Showcase Showdown. That included a second trip, this one to Finland, an all terrain vehicle and a mini camper

"It was so much fun. That's all I can say is it was so much fun," she said.

The full value of the prizes Melba estimated at more than $30,000, but for her it is not about the winnings, but about a little girls' dream come true.

"That was 49 years ago. I was 8 years old," she said as she became choked up. "It was a dream come true."

Melba has to pay California taxes on the prizes she wants to keep so she has not decided if she will take them all. She said she is already focused on her next goal- training for a cancer walk.

She will do three and a half miles in Tampa next month, prosthetic leg and all.