For Ily Davis, the Tennessee Titans’ new game-day role for patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt offered a chance to take part in an activity beyond treatment. Davis, 13, is a competitive figure skater whose hospital journey began a decade ago and was among the program’s first participants.
The Titans and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt created the Mini Majorette program, WSMV reported. One patient is selected as the honorary Monroe Carell Majorette at each Titans home game this season. The experience includes a private meet-and-greet with Titans majorette Chloe Holladay and the cheerleaders, pregame sideline access and in-game recognition.
A Decade of Hospital Visits Led to a Sideline Moment
Davis suffered a traumatic brain injury at age 3 and returned to the hospital earlier this year while being treated for ulcerative colitis, WSMV reported. The station said the competitive skater had been unable to take part in her sport during a difficult year. Her Mini Majorette appearance took place on a Sunday.
Before the game, Davis met Holladay, learned baton-twirling tricks and spent time with the Titans cheerleaders and mascot T-Rac, according to WSMV. She was recognized during the game and appeared on the stadium video board. Davis told the station that the hospital had saved her life during treatment for her brain injury and ulcerative colitis, and described the experience as the highlight of her year.
Holladay's Own History-Making Role
Holladay is the Titans’ first majorette and the first in the NFL since 2002, WSMV reported. She developed and pitched the role, which returned baton twirling to NFL sidelines after more than two decades, according to the station. Holladay said she was excited to participate in the Mini Majorette program and described herself as part of something bigger than herself.
Jamie Phillips, president of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, said the partnership gives patients and their families time together away from the pressures of treatment. She told WSMV that experiences like this can support the well-being of the whole family.
A Season-Long Commitment From the Titans
The Titans say they will recognize a new Mini Majorette at every home game throughout the season. The team also documented a separate hospital visit on June 02, 2026, when its rookie class visited Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and spent time playing games and doing crafts with children and families in the hospital’s garden space. The Titans’ 2026 rookie class visit was separate from the Mini Majorette game-day recognition.
The Hospital's Regional Role
The hospital's cited information does not give an annual patient count. It identifies Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt as Nashville's Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center, according to Monroe Carell.
The Titans hosted the Houston Texans for their Crucial Catch game on Sunday, October 11, 2026, in Nashville. Davis's appearance was one part of the team's season-long recognition of young patients: for her, the game brought a chance to take part in an activity beyond her medical treatment.
