PAST HONOREES
Through the years, we have been able to honor many "Dancers of the Year" through our fundraising efforts. Teachers & Tutus works to encourage and support these honorees and their families during and after their fight with cancer.
2025 - Titus
Titus (Ty) is 4 years old and the son of Shauna and Chris. He has a big sister, Charlotte, who is 6. In late November 2024, shortly after Thanksgiving, we noticed that Ty’s lymph nodes were swollen. We assumed he was fighting a winter cold, and his blood work came back normal. Since the lymph nodes weren’t bothering him, we were told to keep an eye on them and follow up if they didn’t go away. We returned on December 30th with no change, but were again told to monitor him and call if he developed a fever or anything changed. In early January, Ty began snoring extremely loudly and experiencing sleep apnea. We were sure it was his tonsils and adenoids and were scheduled to see an ENT on January 28th. Then, on January 24th, Ty developed a low-grade fever. That weekend, Mom tested positive for influenza, and Sunday night we noticed tiny, pinpoint bruises covering Ty’s body, along with much worse-than-normal bruising on his legs.
On Monday, January 27th, Dad took Ty to his doctor. The nurse immediately noticed the bruising and enlarged tonsils and quickly brought the doctor in. Within minutes, she explained that the combination of the bruising and what she described as “hemorrhagic” tonsils were major red flags. Ty needed immediate blood work and we were sent downtown to Blank Children’s Hospital. By 10:20 a.m., we were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Ty was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), a rare but treatable blood cancer. His white blood cell count was an astonishing 416,000, compared with a normal range of roughly 5,000–19,000, making Ty the record holder for the highest WBC count ever recorded at Blank Children’s Hospital. His WBC count was so high that his leukemia had completely taken over his bone marrow, leaving no room for his body to produce the platelets needed for blood clotting. We spent four days at Blank before going home to begin our new “normal.”
By early February, Ty had stopped eating and was struggling to take his oral steroids. After picking up a virus, he spent another six days in the hospital, and he now has an NG tube that has been a lifesaver in helping him get the nutrition and medications he needs. Since his diagnosis, Ty has completed three separate phases of treatment and made numerous ER trips for fevers. Through it all, he has continued to show us just how strong he is—even a broken arm and cast couldn’t stop him! His numbers are trending in the right direction, and his treatments are working. We are incredibly proud of our little fighter and grateful for everyone who has supported Ty and our family throughout this journey.
2024 - Khinley Jo
Khinley Jo Selix is the 5-year-old daughter of Taylor and Emily Selix. She was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on June 28th, 2023. Upon being admitted to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, a chest X-ray showed a mass covering over 3/4 of her chest, crushing her right lung, and sitting on the veins and arteries that surround her heart making it impossible to do any kind of surgery with sedation.
In the days following Khinley Jo’s diagnosis, she had teams of doctors and nurses that worked tirelessly day and night to help her fight the battle that was now before her. She also had a support squad of family, friends, and the greatest community she could have ever asked for. As the prayers, thoughts, and well wishes came in, we saw the miracles being answered right before our eyes.
Khinley Jo was able to start chemotherapy, and other meds to help stop the growth of her mass, and today we are happy to report it is still there, but no longer an issue. It has shrunk in size tremendously and has calcified to her rib as they were hoping it would do. Her treatments and medications have been a long road, as most of the chemotherapy drugs make her lab counts drop and make her neutropenic and that usually means we have to be in the hospital until those come back up for sometimes weeks at a time.
On March 21st, 2024, we learned that she had a fungal infection. Not knowing what to expect, we all learned very quickly that it was not something the doctors were taking lightly, and she was going to need 50% of her left lung removed, as it showed signs of the fungal infection. After meeting with her surgeon and getting a more in depth idea for how bad the infection was, the surgeon wasn’t very optimistic about Khinley Jo’s outcome. If she were to make it, he wasn’t sure he could even get it all, and not having any white blood cells, or neutrophils, he wasn’t sure she would be able to fight the fungal infection.
After coming out of surgery and speaking with the surgeon, he felt a little better about things, and Khinley Jo has done a very good job of fighting everything that has been thrown her way! She has a year and a half left of treatment, and still has a long road ahead. But, we know she has her support squad right behind her and will continue to fight her fight!
2023 - Nylah
Nylah was diagnosed with acute leukemia on February 1, 2023. She quickly started chemo which she struggled with as she didn't feel well or like her normal self. Additionally, she lost significant strength in her legs causing her to lose most of her ability to walk. After steroid treatments, she regained her strength but then faced losing her hair. Unfortunately, Nylah still wasn't in remission, so she endured two rounds of 28-day infusions consisting of medicine being constantly delivered through her port.
On August 24, 2023, Nylah and her family got the news that she was in remission! After that, she began chemo to keep the cancer cells away which included several in-patient hospital stays.
AUGUST 2024 UPDATE:
Nylah is doing really well! She is now in the maintenance phase of treatment. She goes once a month for count checking and a monthly antibiotic. Every 3 months she gets a spinal tap with chemo, and a short chemo infusion through her port. She also takes chemo pills at home every day!
Her hair is growing so fast, and so thick! There are some times where she doesn’t feel good, and we might have to stay at Blanks, but those days have lessened so much. With entering this phase of treatment, she is feeling so much better, and has a ton of energy! She has also started preschool, and is loving it!
2022 - Ophie
Ophie (short for Ophelia) was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in January 2022 at just 4 years old. Ophie went to her pediatrician on the morning of January 14th because her parents, Bobbi and Curtis, suspected that she had strep throat. Her pediatrician was concerned about some bruising that she had on her face and stomach. Blood work was done and her family received the phone call about an hour later that it was leukemia. Their world was shattered in an instant.
Ophie was admitted to Blank Children’s Hospital that evening and her treatment started right away. Her older brothers (she has 3) have become even more protective of their baby sister. Standard treatment for leukemia is around two years. Ophelia’s end of treatment date is March 23, 2024. She has endured 5 cycles of chemotherapy, 2 bone marrow biopsies, 13 spinal taps and numerous blood product transfusions.
Although there have been a few bumps in the road, Ophelia has tolerated her treatment very well. She is so strong and determined to “get rid of cancer.” She loves dancing, singing and everything that sparkles. She has such a sweet spirit. Ophie dislikes being called brave because when she was first diagnosed everyone kept telling her how brave she was. Her mom, Bobbi, thinks it triggers bad memories of all she went through at the beginning. Instead of brave, her family uses the words “strong” or “tough.”
2021 - Avril
Avril was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) when she was 3 years old. Avril endured an incredibly challenging regimen of treatment including spinal taps, IVIG infusions, platelet transfusion, bone marrow tests, IV chemo, blood transfusions, countless hospital stays and so much more.
In addition to these procedures, she took dozens of chemotherapy pills and other medications, including steroids and antibiotics. Avril experienced significant side effects, including hair loss, pneumonia three times, COIF, shingles, and various infections.
In October 2019, Avril marked a significant milestone by ringing the bell to signify the end of her treatment. However, in July 2021, Avril's leukemia relapsed with full force. Avril underwent a four-week continuous immunotherapy drip, which she continued at home, with regular clinic visits twice a week for chemotherapy bag changes. She then went to Omaha in December of 2021 for a 100-day bone marrow transplant.
AUGUST 2024 UPDATE:
Avril is doing well. She is one year post treatment. She finished treatment July of 2023 and has been working through a few issues since. Ever since the first time Avril was diagnosed she has had a number of sinus and ear issues. She has had multiple sinus surgeries and has had ear tubes 4 times.
In January of this year, she had her 4th set of ear tubes placed along with a sinus surgery and her tonsils out. They were hopeful this would help her chronic sinus infections and her partial hearing loss she had started to experience at the end of her treatment. So far her hearing is better, not 100%, but it is good enough for her to avoid hearing aids at this time. She is now at every 2 months for her blood tests and things are going well for her.
2019 - Aila
Aila Nesbitt was selected as the 2019 Dance of the Year for Teachers and Tutus, as she was battling High-Risk B-Cell ALL Leukemia at the age of 4. Aila (now 9 years old) has always had a zest for life and always leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes. Ms Kelly graciously offered Aila the opportunity to join the Iowa Cats Dance Company that same fall where she got to know many of the dancers.
As Aila continued to get better and eventually finished treatment in 2020, she was able to join the Iowa CATS Dance Company competition team and has loved every minute of being part of the close-knit group of dancers ever since! Aila continues to show the world that faith is bigger than fear and goes into Blank Children's hospital every 4 months for blood checks and continues to be in remission and cancer-free!
We are blessed beyond words with how well she is doing. Looking from the outside, one would never know all she endured and went through, including losing the ability to walk from her intense chemotherapy, several rounds of leg casts and leg braces, as well as years of physical therapy. We love watching her do what she loves best and couldn't have asked for a better group of dancers and teachers to support her continued journey! Thank you Iowa Cats!
– Amy and Nick Nesbitt, Aila's parents