Bert's Big Adventure Kid Josiah's Mom Speaks from the Heart

Summary

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The Bert Show – Episode Summary

Episode: Bert's Big Adventure Kid Josiah's Mom Speaks from the Heart
Date: February 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

This heartfelt episode of The Bert Show spotlights a family participating in Bert’s Big Adventure, the annual charitable trip to Disney World for children with chronic and terminal illnesses. The focus is on Josiah and his family, exploring their journey with leukemia, favorite memories from the trip, and an emotional letter penned by Josiah’s mom, Tony, celebrating his resilience and the joy found amidst hardship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Souvenir Shopping Shenanigans

[02:00 – 03:43]

• The cast jokes about “running out of money” due to Kristen’s enthusiastic souvenir shopping for the Bert’s Big Adventure kids.
  • Kristin: “Never met a souvenir I didn’t like.” (02:20)
  • Listeners are encouraged to donate via text; Zaxby’s is matching donations.

Family Introductions and Park Memories

[03:43 – 06:13]

• Bert introduces Josiah’s family members—mom Tony, dad Chris, siblings Theo, Becca, Laura—and celebrates Becca’s transformation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
  • Kristin explains: “You pick your princess … you sit down in your salon chair, and they do your hair and your makeup and your nails, and then they wave the fairy dust and the magic wand and turn you around, and that’s when you see yourself fully transformed as a princess.” (04:45)
  • The cast describes Becca’s awestruck reaction to seeing herself as a princess: “She was stunned, and you could literally see it on her face, like her jaw dropped.” (05:27)

Josiah’s Story and Sweet Moments

[06:13 – 09:31]

• Tony recounts Josiah’s leukemia diagnosis at age six and his compassion, like tying another child’s shoe.
  • Tony: “Josiah is our middle child…When he was six, he was diagnosed with ALL leukemia…he’s growing and changing. Just an amazing kid.” (06:25)
  • Dad, Chris, shares how magical it was to witness their children's excitement, especially during Disney’s fireworks.
  • Chris: “One of the big highlights for me was watching their faces glow when the fireworks went off…” (07:11)
• Mel relays a meaningful exchange between Josiah and another Bert’s Big Adventure participant, Forest. Forest asked about disabilities, leading to an honest, childlike conversation.
  • Forest: “What’s your disability?”
  • Josiah: “What’s a disability?” …“Mine too, buddy.” (09:24)
  • The kids find common ground and move on, showing natural acceptance.

The Power of Community and Inclusion

[09:48 – 10:59]

• Bert and the team highlight how kids on the trip connect over shared experiences, often for the first time, and that disabilities do not define them.
  • Bert: “You watch these kids, you wouldn’t know there’s disability there. So what is a disability? It turns out that it’s riding roller coasters.” (09:48)
• Josiah is gently encouraged to share his favorite part of the trip but becomes shy.

The Letter: Tony’s Words to Josiah

[11:36 – 14:40]

• Tony reads her moving letter to Josiah, describing the terror of the early days of his illness, their faith and hardships, and the beauty and resilience Josiah shows.
  • Tony: “Dear Josiah, there are moments in life that define everything into a before and after. The morning that we brought you to the hospital and learned that your hemoglobin was at 2.4 was one of those moments…Leukemia is part of your story, but it is not your identity. Your identity is brave. Your identity is joyful. Your identity is resilience. Your identity is being deeply loved.” (11:36 – 14:40)
  • She lists the tough hospital stays, his return to joy, mischievous pranks, and the hope symbolized by the fireworks at Disney.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Never met a souvenir I didn’t like.”
  — Kristen (02:20)

• “[Becca] was stunned, and you could literally see it on her face, like her jaw dropped.”
  — Bert (05:27)

• “Josiah is our middle child. He is nine years old. When he was six, he was diagnosed with all leukemia…Just an amazing kid.”
  — Tony, Josiah’s Mom (06:25)

• “One of the big highlights for me was watching their faces glow when the fireworks went off…It’s just one jaw-drop after another.”
  — Chris, Josiah’s Dad (07:11)

• “What’s your disability?” “What’s a disability?” “Roller coasters.”
  — Forest & Josiah (09:24)

• “Leukemia is part of your story, but it’s not your identity. Your identity is brave. Your identity is joyful. Your identity is resilience. Your identity is being deeply loved.”
  — Tony, Letter to Josiah (14:21)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:00 – 03:43 – Lighthearted start, souvenir shopping jokes, fundraising mention
• 04:23 – 06:13 – Family introductions, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique magic for Becca
• 06:13 – 09:31 – Josiah’s diagnosis, family memories, fireworks, and moments of kindness
• 08:11 – 09:48 – Children discussing disabilities, touching interaction between Josiah and Forest
• 11:36 – 14:40 – Emotional letter from mom Tony to Josiah, reflecting on their journey

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Tone & Takeaways

The episode is a blend of humor, warmth, and raw emotion—typical of The Bert Show’s spirit. The cast and Josiah’s family share open-hearted moments, from joyful Disney memories to moving reflections on personal and familial growth through adversity. Tony’s letter stands as a moving centerpiece, articulating the idea that while illness influences life, it does not define it. Listeners come away with a sense of hope, gratitude, and a reminder of the power of joy and resilience in the face of hardship.

Transcript

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[E]

Watch it, Work the Bird Show Kristen mostly is the reason why we have to ask you guys for more money. Today. She has picked up the award of that my ex wife so honorably carried for year after year after year. And that is overspending on souvenirs on Burt's Big Adventure.

[C]

Never met a souvenir I didn't like.

[D]

Dang.

[E]

So this is now we are in panic mode because Kristen bought So much stuff. That's why we're asking you to help us out with a little give this morning.

[C]

And I. It's. It's a badge that I am very proud to wear.

[E]

You're good at. You are really good. My ex wife is very proud of you.

[C]

Thank you.

[F]

Very proud.

[C]

Text the word Bert B E R T to 50155 because our coffers have ran dry, courtesy of me. I would like to be able to buy some more souvenirs next year. So if you can text that word Bert b e r t to 50155, we're calling it the little give because, I mean, five bucks can actually go, when it all adds up, can go a long way in the park. And Zaxby's is matching your donation, so your five bucks just turned into ten.

[E]

And I want to apologize families that are in the park today because there are no souvenirs left for you to buy for your kids because Kristen bought them off for Burt's Big Adventure. So we apologize.

[C]

And there's not going to be a large group roaming around in these. This the same colored shirt with Burt's Big Adventure on it. Dude, it was so funny. I was hanging out with Asher's family in a magic kingdom and we had our purple shirts on that day. And then we're at Hollywood Studios the next day in our teal shirts. And I kid you not, there was a family behind us at the Slinky Dog roller coaster. And he's like, hey, big Burt's Adventure. And I was like, yeah. He's like, we saw you yesterday in the park with your purple shirt.

[A]

That's us.

[B]

That's us.

[D]

That was us.

[E]

Look, if you missed the show on Thursday, this was really cool. Thank you to Fox 5 and Paul Milken for coming down and covering the Burt's Big Adventure send off.

[C]

It wasn't Paul Milliken. It was Woody that was at our Burt's Big Adventure send off party.

[E]

That's right. It was woody live on Fox 5 and did such a great job. Thank you to Fox 5 and Paul Milken for coming out on Thursday. Awesome. Awesome, awesome. All right, let's get into Josiah's family. These guys run deep and they are intense. This is an intense family rolling through the park. It's Josiah, it's mom, Tony, Dad, Chris. You got Theo here. You got Becca here. You got Laura here. And I will say this about Becca, who has got to mix it up with her brothers, man. I mean, she's got to be super, super tough.

[C]

She Holds her own, man.

[E]

She holds her own, right? But she we broke away to Bippity Boppity Boutique, right? And one of the highlights for me this year will be her seeing herself turn around. We have this every single year when the girls turn around and they see themselves as princesses. For those that don't know what Bippity Bobbidi Boutique is, you want to kind of explain it.

[C]

Well, one, there's no P in it. It's Bibbidi bobbidi. You would make the worst fairy godmother ever. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. They're right next to Cinderella's castle. A magic kingdom. So all of our princesses and princes can walk in there, and you are escorted by your very own personal fairy godmother. She takes you through this store, so you can pick whatever princess. So if you want to be Cinderella, if you want to be Belle, if you want to be Aurora, Tiana, Moana, you name it. You pick your princess, and then you go in, you put on your princess outfit, and then you sit down in your salon chair, and they do your hair and your makeup and your nails, and then they wave the fairy dust and the magic wand and turn you around, and that's when you see yourself fully transformed as a princess.

[D]

It's beautiful.

[E]

So I'm guessing for Becca, who has to have her head on a swivel all the time with these boys, I mean, you never know when there's a punch or a shove coming. Gets to sit in the chair, and as it turns around, she gets to see herself. And she was stunned, and you could literally see it on her face, like her jaw dropped. And Tony was there right next to her, her mom. And I was watching you watch her, and it was one of those moments that will be in my mind as a Burke's big adventure signature 2026 moment. That was pretty cool, right?

[D]

It was amazing.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah. I definitely teared up. So it was so sweet to see her just grab her face and be in shock and how beautiful she is and get to really enjoy that moment and be a girl for a little bit.

[E]

So tell us a little bit about Josiah. We didn't get to talk to you guys on Thursday. And this family rolls deep, man, and they roll fast and they rol.

[D]

Josiah is our middle child. He is nine years old. When he was six, he was diagnosed with all leukemia. And so we battled that for a while, and we're in remission, and he's growing and changing. Just an amazing kid. One moment in the park, we were With David, and his shoes were untied. And Josiah been down and tied his shoes. Like, just didn't even think about David. Your shoes are untied. Let me get that for you. So. He's a sweet kid.

[E]

Chris. Dad, what'd you think of the trip this. This weekend? And watching Josiah and the kids, their.

[G]

Their elation in their faces was just exhilarating to see, because all the wonder and the splendor that was here was just amazing to them. One of the big highlights for me was watching their faces glow when the fireworks went off Saturday night and then again last night when we were at Magic Kingdom. So, yeah, it was really awesome seeing that, especially Rebecca's face as Saturday's fireworks went off. It's just one draw jaw drop. A draw drop after another.

[E]

Yeah, it really is. This is one of the things that reminds me every year when we're at Disney World is that there's no out of the box thinking at Disney World, because there's no box. And there's never. There's no better example of that than the firework show, which you can't even call a fireworks show. It's lasers and boats and fireworks, and there are helicopters in the sky that are dodging the lasers. It's just, like, so big, right?

[D]

Yeah, it's huge, for sure.

[E]

And it's mesmerizing for the kids. It's really, really beautiful. Mel got to hang with you guys. And there was one particular moment that she was telling me about yesterday between Josiah and, I think, Forest, Right?

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

That was such a great example of what this trip is all about. It was an inquisitive moment, but also just really, really beautiful communication between kids.

[C]

Yeah.

[F]

Forest had this kind of pattern throughout the trip where he was asking all of the birds, pick adventure kids, what's your disability? Which is just a really special thing for a child to ask another child. And when he asked Saya, Saya said, what's a disability? And Forrest. And Forrest's mom and myself were kind of trying to tag team. How do you describe this? What's the right way to explain to another child what a disability is? And we kind of came up with, it's what makes you unique. It's what makes you special, and it's what brings all of our Birch pig adventure kids here together. And he explained that to Saya, and Saya said, well, I have. Well, actually, first he said, roller coasters.

[E]

Mine too, buddy.

[C]

That is. We now. We now know your disability is roller coaster.

[E]

Now I get it.

[F]

And Florence said that's not a disability. And he said, no, I'm really scared of him. And then he said, I have leukemia. And Forrest said, oh. And then they just moved on with their day. Like, we're, you know, we're all in this together.

[E]

The beautiful moment of it is first for us being so inquisitive. And this really is, as we said earlier, and we're probably going to bring this up a lot this morning, the inquisitiveness that. I think Forest was the one that really kind of got it going with all the. The kids, them being able to communicate, because as we say, a lot of these kids, when you're out in the real world, don't have a lot of friends that understand what this really is all about. So when you can get together and the way Forrest asks is so genuine, there's that beautiful moment of him asking and starting that communication. And also, I just love the sentence, what's a disability? Because if you. You watch these kids, you wouldn't know there's disability there. So what is a disability? It turns out that it's riding roller coasters. Josiah, did you love the trip? Yeah. What was your favorite part?

[C]

You got to talk now. This is one time I love Grandma.

[E]

You've been talking all weekend, man. No, nothing. Zero.

[G]

He's getting a little bashful.

[E]

Okay.

[C]

I'm thinking.

[E]

Okay, let us know when you're ready.

[C]

We have till 10.

[E]

Yeah, we got plenty of time. And if you can't answer now, just come on back later. That's fine. They are. I can see them turning, man. We ask all of our Burt's Big Adventure parents to write a letter for their Burt's Big Adventure kids each and every year. And it's pretty open ended when I say, hey, guys, can you write something to your kid? It could be about this trip. It could be about the journey that got you here. It could be things that you didn't quite say or haven't said to your Burt's Big Adventure kid for a while. So we got our first of the morning here with Tony, Josiah's mom. Yeah.

[D]

No crying, okay? Yeah. All right. Dear Josiah, there are moments in life that define everything into a before and after. The morning that we brought you to the hospital and learned that your hemoglobin was at 2.4 was one of those moments. Sitting in the PICU at Scottish right watching monitors and listening to machines, I felt fear I had never known before. I sat beside your bed and prayed. I prayed through the quiet hours. I prayed through the uncertainty. The next morning when they confirmed that it was all leukemia, our world changed. This was not the path you chose. A child would. We walk through multiple long hospital stays, one for shingles and two for stomach infections. The longest was in December, from the 10th to the 24th, getting out on Christmas Eve. You even spent your seventh birthday admitted in treatment. There were endless appointments, procedures, and medicines that made your small body so tired. I remember at the first hospital stay, you were afraid to see your friends. Afterwards, you were unsure of how they would see you. But slowly, your bright spirit came back. The joy returned. The confidence returned. The laughter returned. Because that is who you are. Even the middle of treatment, you found ways to bring light into hospital rooms. You pranked your nurses and your doctors with your pet spiders. You planned water fights using syringes. You turned a sterile hallway into a place of laughter. You reminded everyone that joy can exist even in the hardest of places. Our faith carried us through the darkest moments. I sat in those hospital rooms, not knowing what was ahead, but believing that the same God who created you was holding you even tighter than I could. And now, having this adventure, it feels like a celebration. Seeing your face light up, meeting Woody and Buzz, hearing your excitement about roller coasters, standing together as fireworks fill the sky. Those fireworks felt like a celebration and hope bursting into the night. Leukemia is part of your story, but it is not your identity. Your identity is brave. Your identity is joyful. Your identity is resilience. Your identity is being deeply loved. As your mom, I have watched you face something you did not choose, but you faced it with strength. And that humbles me. I am so proud of you. Proud of your courage, proud of your faith. Proud of the way you bring laughter into hard places. You are stronger than you know. You are braver than you feel. And your story is still being written. Hashtag, saya strong. Love always. Mom.

[E]

That's beautiful. Really beautiful. I'm going to use that one over and over and over again. Also part of your story, but not your identity. That's fantastic. All right, you guys, welcome to our family. This thing doesn't end here. As I said, on Thursday show, we're going to bug you just like real family does, man. We're going to be calling you all the time, trying to get together, right? So you are now part of Burke's big adventure, and we're so glad to have you guys part of it. And Josiah, when you could think of what the good part of the trip was, you'd come on back. All right, we got plenty of time. We're going to be here till 10. All right, coming up in just a couple of seconds here, we will introduce you guys to the first of the three amigos. We had three kids here this trip in their wheelchairs that didn't need any staff members. They didn't need adults. We were just bugging them. But they really kind of set the tone for connection on this trip. So we'll introduce you to some Sebastian and his family on bert's Big Adventure2026. Coming up next, the Bert Show.