Bob Carey and his wife Linda have been together since 1986. When Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, Bob was desperate to make her treatments easier. So he began dressing up in a pink tutu and taking photos of himself.

Thus the Tutu Project was formed, which raises money for breast cancer research with the sale of Bob’s photographs, which he takes himself, his book “Ballerina” and private donations.

tutu project

“This all sucks, you know? And it’s stupid that it’s happening,” Bob says. “There’s no reason for us to suffer through it like this. I’m here to make people happy.”

So does Bob’s method of cheering up his wife work? “It just makes me laugh, to see my husband dancing around in a pink tutu,” Linda says. “It helps me be positive. The more I laugh, the better I feel.”

“It’s just a good story about love, about inspiration,” Linda adds. “Who would have thought a pink tutu would connect with so many people?”