Help Melissa Rutz Dance Through Cancer Recovery

Update 4/18/25:

Thank you SO much to everyone who has donated!!!!

Melissa expresses her overwhelming gratitude for the outpouring of support! This GoFundMe immediately put Melissa’s mind at ease and has played a HUGE part in her being able to take care of medical and living expenses, not to mention her emotional well-being. :)

I am raising the fundraising goal because Melissa’s medical costs will be much larger than expected. Back when I originally started this GoFundMe, there were still a lot of unanswered questions about what types of treatments Melissa would need. We were hopeful that she may not need chemotherapy at all. As you may have read from her updates, now we know that she will need chemotherapy through the end of this summer.

Even though the tumor was removed with surgery, chemotherapy is medication given to get rid of any cancer cells that may remain elsewhere in the body. This is an incredibly powerful and important treatment, but it can cause a lot of side effects.

Here are some of the major planned milestones (and expenses) for Melissa in the coming months:

— fertility preservation (egg retrieval and freezing): chemotherapy can cause the ovaries to shut down temporarily and/or lead to premature menopause. This has been a particularly emotional aspect of Melissa’s cancer experience, and I hope we can support her in preserving her hope to have kids one day.

— starting chemotherapy: often accompanied with side effects and a temporarily weakened immune system that would make it impossible or dangerous to keep dancing/giving lessons during this time.

— during chemo, Melissa plans to use cold caps (scalp cooling). This is a research-backed method to prevent hair loss. Cold caps narrow the blood vessels that carry blood to scalp, which reduces the amount of chemo delivered to the scalp and hair follicles. Though Medicare has recently started paying for cold cap treatment, and most European countries cover the cost completely, private insurers in the U.S. still have not caught up yet. :( This means that Melissa’s cold caps will probably cost $1500-$3000.

— post-chemo: usually people need time to recover from fatigue or other side effects.

— during this time, meals and transportation costs can also add up. It is hard to have the energy to grocery shop or meal prep. Being able to have some support for this can be a big help.

— as you can imagine, recovery is rarely linear. It is a winding path and a rollercoaster with unexpected twists, turns, ups, and downs. Just worrying about each next health-related step can feel like a full-time job; if finances start feeling stretched, the stress can be even more overwhelming. I hope we can help Melissa reduce the financial worries so she can focus on healing. I also hope she does not have to choose between treatments and that she can get the best care available.

Again, every single dollar helps SOOO much!!! And even if you can’t donate, please repost this to your WCS community!! :) If you prefer to use Venmo, please feel free to directly Venmo Melissa (@mady-r). GoFundMe does not take a percentage of the donation. They just charge a credit card processing fee. Everything else goes safely and directly to Melissa’s bank account. Much love to everyone!

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Melissa Rutz, a dance inspiration to West Coast Swing communities all over the world, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She is suddenly facing a huge disruption to every aspect of her life, especially the career she has dedicated decades to.

I have been taking classes with Melissa and her fiancé Parker for the last several years in San Diego. I've had the incredible fortune to experience their warm, loving energy toward their loyal students. They pour their heart and soul into showing up, coaching, and cheering us on. Melissa simply lights up the room (and shows all of us how to move with the perfect combination of grace and sass)!!

Those of us who are active in the WCS community know that traveling, performing, and teaching are essential to a WCS professional's livelihood. Melissa is getting her care in the Bay Area, and her ability to teach classes and travel will be limited by her medical appointments. In the U.S., healthcare costs can be overwhelming, especially for those who are self-employed. Insurance will only cover a portion of her care. She will have mounting medical bills and living expenses for the next several months. She will also need to reduce or pause giving lessons and teaching classes to undergo treatment. This affects her main source of income.

After breast cancer surgery, women often need time to heal, rest, and work on regaining mobility in their chest and arm. On top of that, the amount of information that cancer patients have to process mentally and emotionally is incredibly draining, leaving very little energy to do day-to-day activities.

Any help is welcome - your donations will support Melissa with medical bills and living expenses throughout her recovery process.

If Melissa has touched your life in any way, shape, or form, please consider contributing. Even $1 will make a difference in helping with meals or transportation!!

If you cannot contribute financially, please spread the word to your dance community - we would be so grateful!

If you prefer to use Venmo, please send to @mady-r

Thank you so, so, so much! Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.

Cover photo credit: Bradford Whelan