'Ballerina Bob' by The Tutu Project

The Tutu Project™ is an inspiring story about how art, dedication, and love is the means to bring laughter and hope into the lives of those affected by breast cancer. The iconic images of “the man in the pink tutu” have been seen around the world, thrilling fans and are used as a means to raise funds for families with breast cancer.

In 2003, Linda was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She beat it, only to have it recur in 2006. Bob found that the best way to emotionally deal with the diagnosis was to express his feelings through his art. He had lost his mother to breast cancer years before and knew the challenges that he faced with Linda’s diagnosis. Bob expanded a series of self-portraits in a tutu that began when he conceptualized a black and white for the Arizona Ballet. When he started to share his work with Linda, they realized that the images brought laughter and happiness into their home when they needed it the most, and the Ballerina series was born.

While dealing with ongoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer, Linda began to share the images with other breast cancer patients at the clinic. The laughter was contagious, and the Carey’s found they could inspire others this way. In 2012, “The Tutu Project” was officially created; the project went viral, and the Carey’s raised enough funds to self-publish ‘Ballerina’ and started their breast cancer non-profit, The Carey Foundation.

The Carey Foundation’s mission is to help breast cancer patients and their families by providing support for cancer-related costs not covered by insurance. Linda and Bob know that if the daily stresses of cancer are reduced, and laughter and joy are infused into a family, living with cancer become a little bit easier. *The Tutu Project is a campaign of The Carey Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more information visit thetutuproject.com.