Meet Our Bert's Big Adventure Kid Gunner!

Summary

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The Bert Show – "Meet Our Bert's Big Adventure Kid Gunner!"

Date: February 19, 2026
Podcast: The Bert Show
Host(s): Bert, Kristin, and The Bert Show Cast

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Episode Overview

This heartfelt and lighthearted episode introduces Gunner, a remarkable kid selected for Bert's Big Adventure, a charitable initiative that gives extraordinary experiences to children with chronic and terminal illnesses. The cast sits down with Gunner and his family to discuss his rare medical condition, his adventurous spirit, and his excitement about upcoming adventures—both at Disney and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. There’s also a special surprise involving Gunner’s passion for outdoor YouTube content. The conversation blends candid moments, supportive humor, and inspiring stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fundraising for Bert’s Big Adventure

• The show emphasizes the importance of ongoing donations, highlighting how crucial community support is for their initiatives, especially now that the team is no longer on-air every day.

• Kristin points out that Zaxby's is matching donations this year—doubling the impact (02:17).

  “We’re hitting a little give a little bit harder this year than we normally do because Bert’s Big Adventure is going to go on if I’m on the radio or not.” – Bert (01:38)

2. Meet Gunner: The Only One in the World Like Him

• Gunner’s mom (Nicole) shares that Gunner has a unique, never-before-seen genetic condition, making him medically one of a kind (03:30).

• The emotional impact of this discovery is discussed, with Nicole describing initial feelings of isolation and how they’ve drawn strength from family, friends, and other “medical moms” (04:21, 04:56).

  “Genetically at the moment, and still 10 years from his birth, he’s the only person with his genetic makeup... So, we’re just going to let him make his own way.” – Nicole (03:30)

• For descriptive ease, Nicole describes Gunner’s condition as a “rare form of dwarfism” when talking with others (05:22).

3. Medical Challenges & Triumphs

• Gunner’s early life involved two months in the NICU, oxygen dependence, a feeding tube, and a harness for his hips. Hospitalizations have been frequent, especially during cold and flu season due to chronic lung disease (05:40).

4. Gunner’s Adventures & Passions

• Gunner is an outdoors enthusiast, deeply involved in snowmobiling and competitive events—having won about 30 snowmobile trophies (07:19).

• He and his family love visiting Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan, a massive, 400-foot sand dune destination where Gunner enjoys total freedom and outdoor play (07:41–08:54). His mom highlights how these experiences allow him to just “be Gunner,” unconstrained by mobility devices.

  “He’s not restricted to being in his chair, and he’s not restricted in his walker. We can just drive him and put him wherever he wants to be in the sand.” – Nicole (07:43)

• The hosts are visibly impressed with the size of the dunes, lighting up the conversation with natural curiosity and banter.

5. Gunner’s Dreams: Disney & YouTube Stardom

• Gunner is looking forward to Disney World and particularly “the rides” (06:24). He’s undecided about souvenirs, preferring to “let the souvenir pick [him]” (06:56).

• Gunner’s fascination with YouTube outdoor adventure content earns him a special surprise:

  • Matt Trangooch from Third Eye Creative Productions gifts Gunner and his family an “all adventures included” trip to Silver Lake, complete with a film crew. Gunner will serve as the “host” of his own outdoor adventure video (09:10–09:22).
  • Gunner receives a supportive video message from John, the creator of Woodsbound Outdoors, encouraging Gunner to reach out for YouTube tips and offering to help him grow his channel (10:09–11:03).

  "I also wanted to let you know I’m here for you anytime you need help with your YouTube content... I’ll share with you any tips and advice. Pretty much everything I’ve learned about YouTube..." – John, Woodsbound Outdoors (10:29)

• The cast plays along with Gunner’s big adventure, expressing their full support and infectious enthusiasm for his YouTube aspirations.

  “Oh, dude, you’ve got the goods. Yeah, for sure. You got the goods, man.” – Bert (11:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |---|---|---| | 03:30 | “Genetically at the moment, and still 10 years from his birth, he’s the only person with his genetic makeup...” | Nicole (Gunner’s mom) | | 04:21 | “You kind of feel a little bit alone. But you look for other friends or parents or individuals that have kids that are kind of similar, and you kind of learn from them.” | Nicole | | 05:22 | “So typically, I just say that he has a rare form of dwarfism, so he’s just gonna be a little bit smaller than everybody else.” | Nicole | | 07:19 | “30 snowmobile trophies.” | Gunner | | 07:43 | “He’s not restricted to being in his chair, and he’s not restricted in his walker. We can just drive him and put him wherever he wants to be in the sand.” | Nicole | | 10:29 | “I’m here for you anytime you need help with your YouTube content... I’ll share with you any tips and advice. Pretty much everything I’ve learned about YouTube...” | John, Woodsbound Outdoors | | 11:43 | “Oh, dude, you’ve got the goods. Yeah, for sure. You got the goods, man.” | Bert |

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Segment Timestamps for Key Topics

• [02:17] – Zaxby's matching donations, fundraising thoughts
• [03:30] – Introduction to Gunner’s unique condition
• [04:21] – Coping with being “the only one”; support networks
• [05:22] – How Gunner’s family explains his condition
• [05:40] – Medical history and hospitalizations
• [06:24] – Gunner talks Disney rides and souvenir plans
• [07:19] – Gunner reveals his snowmobile trophy collection
• [07:41] – Silver Lake Sand Dunes adventures
• [09:10] – Surprise: Filmed adventure at Silver Lake, YouTube hosting plans
• [10:09] – Message from John, Woodsbound Outdoors

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Tone and Takeaways

The Bert Show creates an easygoing, supportive space filled with laughter, empathy, and genuine curiosity about Gunner’s life. The hosts and guests normalize challenges and emphasize Gunner’s abilities over limitations, embodying the spirit of Bert’s Big Adventure: making memories and uplifting extraordinary kids and families.

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For more stories like Gunner's, visit Bert’s Big Adventure.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[C]

plus a free professional measure during the President's Day Mega Sale. Last chance happening right [e-mail] terms apply. The Burt show do not underestimate kids that are in wheelchairs. Do not judge them. We are going to prove to you here in a couple of seconds. Wheelchair not a big deal. Gunnar's gonna tell you all about it here in just a couple of seconds. We gotta remind you over and over and over today, I'll be just 100% with you guys. You know, I'm a little bit nervous about donations, you know, because we're not doing the Burt show anymore. So we can't be in your face every single day while you're coming in to work talking about Burt's Big Adventure and money and and helping out. So we're hitting a little give a little bit harder this year than we normally do because Birch Big Adventure is going to go on if I'm on the radio or not. And it just gets a little bit tougher to try to create funds when I can't be in your face. Every single morning. So we're really hoping you help us out again this year with the little gift.

[B]

And Zaxby's is matching your donation. So if you want to donate 5 bucks, it just turned into 10. If you want to donate 20, it just turned into 40. All you have to do is text the word Bert Bert to 50155, or you can donate online at Burt's big adventure.org but trust, we will spend your money, and sometimes not wisely, because I love to buy a souvenir.

[C]

That is the truth we have been telling you guys for years, and I got this wrong the first couple of Burch big adventures that when I would see a Burt's Big adventure kid in a wheelchair, I felt like it was like, oh, man, that's got to be very restricting. And the truth of the matter is, they're not restricting. In a lot of cases, it's freedom. And I got that wrong for a lot of years. And I think when you underestimate kids that are in wheelchairs, you're absolutely getting it wrong. And I think we're going to prove that to you right here with Gunner. Okay. How are you guys doing today?

[D]

Good.

[C]

Good. We got Gunner here. We got Nicole here. We got dad Gary. We got Gavin here also. So tell us a little bit about Gunner and what makes him so special, because he's the only one in the world with what he has. Please tell.

[E]

Yes. So Gunner is very unique. So genetically at the moment, and still 10 years from his birth, he's the only person with his genetic makeup. And so when he was before actually he was even born, we did a bunch of testing, and they told us, hey, this is what's going on with your baby. And then as he turned almost six months old, they're like, you know what? We don't really know any other kids or babies like Gunner, so we're just going to kind of see how he does his own thing, and, you know, we're just going to let him make his own way.

[C]

So I think as a parent, I know if I got that info, I would feel really alone, really lost, because you don't have anybody else to reach out to you. There's no protocols. How did you handle the mentally, that part of the whole thing, like, this is. My kid's the only one with this.

[E]

It was definitely overwhelming in the beginning because, you know, when you find out you're having a baby, you're like, oh, my gosh, this is lovely. And then when you find out there might be something wrong, you're in a whole different mindset. And then also, when you find out that your baby or kid is the only one like this, you kind of feel a little bit alone. But you look for other friends or parents or individuals that have kids that are kind of similar, and you kind of learn from them. Even though we can't say that specifically what Gunner is going to experience, we can kind of say, okay, maybe that will be kind of what we can see.

[B]

Who have you been able to lean on throughout this?

[E]

So we have wonderful family and so many great friends that have just stepped up and done all the things for us. Gunner's had a lot of hospitalizations over the years, and so it's nice to have a really great community of friends and family. And also, I've met some medical moms through the years that have just, you know, been wonderful people to help.

[C]

So, because he's the only one, is there a label? I mean, what. When people say, what's up with Gunner? What do you say?

[E]

So typically, I just say that he has a rare form of dwarfism, so he's just gonna be a little bit lit, a little bit smaller than everybody else. Obviously, we can get scientific and all that, but typically that's what I say, and people are like, oh, okay, that's cool. That makes sense. And then we just kind of go on.

[B]

And what's been some of the reasons for the hospitalizations?

[E]

So when he was first born and he was in the NICU for two months, he came home on Alzheimer's oxygen. He also had a feeding tube, and he was in, like, a harness for his hips. And so just those three things were, you know, they required weekly appointments, if not, you know, every other week. He also has had a few sicknesses that have put him in the hospital. Just with his chronic lung disease. It you just kind of, you know, cold and flu season is not great for anybody with a special needs child. So typically, that's where our hospitalizations had come from. Or he's even had a couple surgeries recently, too.

[B]

All right, Gunner, enough. Enough talk about hospitals. Can we talk about Disney, sir? Yeah. All right, Gunner, what are you most looking forward to at Disney? The rides. The ride.

[C]

Let's get on them.

[B]

All right. Have you been doing any research at all? Do you have any rides picked out that you definitely want to try to get on?

[C]

No, not really.

[B]

Okay, well, the good thing, you're going with us because, you know, we've gone on a ride or two in our years doing Burt's Big Adventure, so I think we will. We will not lead you astray, sir.

[C]

Yeah. I have retired from that part of Burt's big adventure as well. But I will definitely point you in the right direction.

[B]

Are there any souvenirs you would like to get while you're there?

[E]

I don't really know yet.

[C]

Okay. He's gonna see how it goes.

[E]

I like that.

[C]

It's kind of a flow guy.

[B]

Instead of you picking the souvenir, you're gonna let the souvenir pick you. Is that what I'm hearing? Yeah, I like that.

[C]

One of the things I wanted to stre Gunner here again. When you see a wheelchair, don't make judgments, because when we were hanging out yesterday, you want to tell them about all the snowmobile trophies that you seem to be winning these days?

[E]

Yeah, I win a lot.

[B]

I don't doubt it.

[C]

How many we talking about here?

[B]

Like 30.

[A]

30.

[B]

30 snowmobile trophies. How did you get into that? We just found it one day. You just found it one day?

[C]

Dude lives in Ohio with all that snow, you got to do something with it.

[B]

Very, very true.

[C]

Yeah, He's a very, very, very active

[B]

k outside, don't you? Yeah.

[C]

All right, tell us about this place that you guys love to go. Silver sands resort.

[D]

Silver lake.

[C]

Silver Lake. Yeah. What's that all about?

[E]

So it's silver lake sand dunes, and we. We live a few hours from there. It's up in Michigan. It's our favorite place to go. And it's just like a huge sandbox, and we can take our jeep out there, and we can drive around, and the kids can play, and there's water, and it's just, like, such a fun, outdoorsy place to be. And Gunner can just be Gunner. And he's not restricted to being in his chair, and he's not restricted in his walker. We can just drive him and put him wherever he wants to be in the sand.

[C]

So last night I went online to check this place out, and I will be going. It's awesome.

[E]

It's very cool.

[C]

Kristen, think of these. Like, how big are those sand dunes? Because at least online, it looks like they're 20 or 30ft high.

[D]

No, they're like 400ft.

[C]

400ft.

[D]

The one big hill. When you first get into the park,

[B]

you are way off.

[C]

I didn't even know 400ft sand dunes existed.

[B]

Normally people go bigger. Like, when they're, like, went to complete.

[C]

40ft is still big. 400. Okay. I'm not going.

[B]

Can you, like, surf down them or sled down them?

[D]

People do try to ride Sleds and things down them. It's pretty difficult from what I've experienced, so.

[B]

Got it, got it, got it.

[C]

It looks absolutely crazy, but we understand that you guys go there and you've had a great time, right?

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Oh, yeah. We love going to Michigan. That's our getaway for sure.

[C]

All right, so let's make sure that the good times keep rolling here over at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. We want to introduce you. Kristen, you want to take this because I don't want to butcher the last name.

[B]

Matt Trangooch, right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Matt Tran Gooch from Third Eye Creative Productions, who is a. A partner of Bird's Big Adventure. They help us out year in and year out, and they heard about Gunner and his love for the outdoors. And they have something special for you, Gunner.

[F]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I checked out Silver Lake Sand Dunes as well. Looks pretty cool. So if you guys are cool with it, we're going to send you there for three days, all adventures included. And we also heard that you like the YouTube outdoors adventure stuff, right? So we figured to add on top of it, we're going to do a full filming crew to do a full outdoors adventure where you're the star, you're the host of the show. We're going to throw you some GoPro gear as well to do during the entire thing. And then we also have One of the YouTube stars, a guy named John from outdoors. I think it's Woods Outdoors.

[C]

Woodsbound.

[F]

Woodsbound Outdoors. And he made us a video that we're gonna play you real quick

[D]

from Woodsbound Outdoors. I heard you enjoy watching my YouTube videos, so first of all, I want to thank you for watching them. I have a lot more adventures to come. I also heard that you have an adventure coming up of your own at Silver Lake Sand Dunes and that you're going to be filming your own YouTube video. That sounds awesome. I'm definitely looking forward to that. I'll be watching it and I hope you have a great time at Disney. I also wanted to let you know I'm here for you anytime you need help with your YouTube content. If you want to email me, Zoom or FaceTime. If you have any questions, you can email me anytime you want. I'll share with you any tips and advice. Pretty much everything I've learned about YouTube over the past several years, I'm still learning, but I'll teach you everything I know. I'm out here on this beautiful day today. It's a nice little warm up from all the cold weather we've been having. This year I'm loving it. I'm looking forward to spring. So I'll see you soon, buddy. And I'm looking forward to that video.

[C]

So I went online to check this dude out last night. This is the guy I've always wanted to be, but there's no chance. I'm way too soft. This guy takes like a refrigerator box and makes a little house out of it and goes in the middle of nowhere in like snowstorms and teaches you how to live. He like makes a survivalist. Like a survivalist?

[B]

Yeah, Absolutely.

[C]

Not in cardboard boxes. He's awesome.

[F]

Pretty cool. He's pretty cool. And he's gonna help us out make that video. So you guys will be for there for three days, two nights, all ventures included. There's also a dinner at, I think it's called the lighthouse chicken sack, something like that. And we're send a crew with you. So we're excited to do this and, and happy to be a part of it.

[B]

Gunner, you want to become a YouTube star, man?

[C]

Oh, dude, you've got the goods. Yeah, for sure. You got the goods, man. So we're gonna set you up and you guys have a great time up there, man. On the 400 foot stuff, sand dunes, which I still think are about 40ft. All right, thanks you guys. Welcome to Burt's big adventure.

[E]

Thank you.

[C]

All right, coming up in a couple of seconds here, we've got ourselves an 11 year old artist in the house. In fact, Aiden's dad's so impressed with his son's art, he's having it tattooed on his body first. Big Adventure 2026 continues on Q997 the bird show.