Tessa’s Journey with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome

When Tessa Decker stepped onto the stage at the Arnold Sports Festival, she didn’t expect to win. It was her first time competing in pole fitness, and the level of talent in the room was sky-high. So when the announcer skipped past fifth, fourth, and third place—Tessa assumed she hadn’t placed at all.

Then came the shock: she was the winner.

A lifelong dancer from Adrian, Michigan, Tessa brought home first place out of 25 competitors in the Pole Fitness Level 2 competition. Her routine—a powerful blend of ballet, floorwork, and aerial dance choreographed to Miley Cyrus’s “Climb”—was more than a performance. It was a tribute to her late dance teacher. It was a moment of joy. It was strength in motion.

But what most spectators didn’t see was the condition Tessa lives with every day: Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS), a rare primary immunodeficiency (PI) that affects the immune system and blood clotting.

A Diagnosis That Changed Everything

Tessa was diagnosed with WAS at age 8, after enduring frequent infections and complications. Two of her older brothers were also diagnosed—one of whom received a bone marrow transplant from a healthy sibling.

For Tessa, treatment included immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy, which began at age 16. The journey wasn’t easy. She missed nearly an entire year of high school due to illness and adjustment to treatment, ultimately finishing her senior year online.

Yet even through pain and fatigue, she kept dancing.

Dancing Through It All

Ballet, tap, jazz, modern—Tessa did it all. From starring in The Nutcracker to dancing from silk scarves suspended from the ceiling, she never stopped moving. She even learned pole fitness for a role in Rock of Ages, setting the stage for her later competition win.

After graduating, Tessa joined a professional modern dance company in Toledo. And although becoming a mom and navigating the pandemic shifted her focus to teaching rather than performing, her love for dance never faded. In fact, she’s currently preparing an audition video for none other than Cirque du Soleil.

“I Deal with Challenges as They Come.”

Tessa’s approach to life is simple: she keeps going.

“I deal with challenges as they come,” she says. “I’m not going to let it stop me from living life, and I’m not going to live life on the edge, either. It’s a balance.”

That balance is what makes her story so powerful. In the face of chronic illness, she continues to climb—literally and figuratively.

Why Stories Like Tessa’s Matter

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome is rare. It can cause severe infections, low platelet counts, bruising, rashes, and other complications that impact daily life. But Tessa’s story reminds us that PI doesn’t have to define a person’s potential.

At the Yellow Bear Foundation, we believe in celebrating the courage, creativity, and strength of those living with PI. Tessa is a stunning example of what it means to live boldly—even when the odds are stacked against you.

Story adapted from coverage by the Immune Deficiency Foundation and The Daily Telegram.