CHINA GROVE — Finding out about scoliosis did not stop a five-year-old dancer from following her dreams, but as the condition progressed over the next few years, surgery became inevitable.

To support Cazzie Kluttz through her surgery, fellow dancers and churchgoers organized a fundraiser to let her know they had her back.

The Kluttzes discovered Cazzie’s condition in 2017. At the time, she was only 5.
“She was sitting on my lap at church, and her dad, (Paul Kluttz) and I saw it, which led to a visit with the pediatrician, which sent us to a specialist,” said Brittany Kluttz, Cazzie’s mother. “At that point, she just needed monitoring.”

Unfortunately for Cazzie, her condition would progress.

“Two years in, it got a little worse, and we started bracing at night,” Kluttz said. “She has had two braces since then.”

According to the National Institute of Health, scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. Everyone has normal curves in the spine, and when looked at from behind, the spine appears straight. However, children and teens with scoliosis have an abnormal S-shaped or C-shaped curve of the spine.

While initially, Cazzie’s condition did not cause her significant discomfort, as it progressed, her pain levels did too.

“Her’s only became painful last year,” Kluttz said. “Last October, she started experiencing lots of headaches and lots of soreness. It’s usually only painful for people who have degrees higher than 40, and she was in that 50 threshold.”

Degrees refers to the curvature of the spine.

“As she grew, it got worse and worse and worse,” Kluttz said. “Only a small percentage of scoliosis patients need surgery. A lot of people just live with it.”

The Kluttzes met with a pediatric spine surgeon at Duke University. Dr. Robert Lark recommended surgery.

“Her curve right now is at 60 degrees,” Kluttz said. “(Lark’s) goal on the OR table is to get her to 30 (degrees), and as she grows, she will grow to a perfectly straight spine.”

On Friday, Cazzie will undergo an operation called vertebral body tethering.

The Boston Children’s Hospital website states that vertebral body tethering is a surgical treatment for idiopathic scoliosis in growing children whose scoliosis continues to progress despite bracing. The treatment was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2019.

Vertebral body tethering is a growth-modulation treatment that uses anchors and an attached flexible cord to guide the spine into an upright alignment as a child grows. It is an alternative to spinal fusion surgery that has been around much longer.

“This is a tether,” Kluttz said. “They will tether her T6 and T12. They will insert basically like a rubber band and as she grows, it will straighten her spine.”

For the long-time dancer, the surgery will help her to continue doing what she loves.

“She is a full-time competitive dancer,” Kluttz said. “She has been dancing for nine years and doing competitive dance for seven years.”

Cazzie started competitive swimming during the past summer as well, and she also plays the piano.

For a fifth grader, Cazzie does it all.

“We keep her busy,” Kluttz said.

For the bulk of the time that the Kluttzes have known about Cazzie’s condition, life was pretty normal.

“Up until last year, it was just checkups every six months,” Kluttz said. “In October, we were told that she needed the surgery. Then reality set in. OK, you are going to operate on my 10-year-old. It’s a major 6.5-, 7-hour surgery on a child that has only ever taken Tylenol. It’s definitely a reality check for us.”

The family has found solace and strength through their church and relationship with God.

“We are very strong in our faith,” Kluttz said.

The family worships at His Table Church in Salisbury.

“We have a wonderful backing behind us,” Kluttz said. “I have a big family. (Paul) has a big family. We have a wonderful church. Center Stage Dance Company has been wonderful through this.”

Between their church and the dance studio, the Kluttz’s community has answered the call to help.

“(The church) did fundraising for us,” Kluttz said. “Center Stage did the fundraising for us. They were both ‘we got your back’ themed shirts. We, as a family, wanted to show her that you have all these people behind you that love you and support you.

“It wasn’t so much about the financial support. It was a mental and physical support that she could see that we really wanted from those, and everybody stepped up in a huge way.”

Kluttz is not sure how many shirts were sold but estimated it to be upward of 300.

“People I don’t even know are going to have them,” Kluttz said. “Cazzie is a very shy, reserved child. She does not speak up much … for her to see these people she might not normally speak to support her is amazing. It means the word to us.”

Cazzie’s drive during all of this has left its mark on the community.

Her dance instructor and Center Stage Dance Company owner, Sandy Overcash, said that a desire to compete at an event in Myrtle Beach this summer spurred Cazzie to postpone the surgery.

“Cazzie did not want to miss this competition season and asked if the surgery could be performed at the end of the season after nationals allowing her to participate at all competitions as well as Groove Nationals,” Overcash said in a release.

Given Cazzie’s dedication to her fellow dancers, Overcash said they wanted to do something to help. Proceeds from the shirts will go towards the family’s lodging while at Duke Medical Center.

“The Kluttz family has deep Center Stage roots, with Brittney dancing at Center Stage for 15 years and dancing now in the parent dance battle at nationals,” the release said. “Cazzie and (sister) Callie both are competition dancers. (Another sister) Collins takes recreational classes. Paul is a prop dad. They are at the studio four days each week, and the studio wanted to show their support.”

On the final day of rehearsal before attending Groove Nationals, Cazzie was presented a “We’ve Got Your Back” shirt signed by all her competition teammates at Center Stage. The family was also given several “We’ve Got Your Back” blankets to use while at Duke.

The current fundraiser is at $3,188 for the Kluttz family. If you’d like to contribute, donations can be made at https://www.centerstagedancecompanyinc.com/special.html#/.