Podcast Host (2:29)

Yup.

Podcast Sponsor Announcer (2:30)

All right.

Podcast Host (2:30)

Success stories. I love these. This year, we decided, you know what? Let's talk to some families from past years that things have gone really great for since they've been on Burke's Big adventure. So we brought Isaac back and his mom, Brianna and Brantley and Cordis and Owen are all here. Hey, guys. How are you guys doing?

Co-Host or Producer (2:49)

Good morning, guys. Hi.

Podcast Host (2:51)

All right, so you guys were on the trip in 2024. Tell us about all the good stuff and do not be humble.

Isaac's Mom (2:58)

Oh, gosh. We. It's hard to know where to start. We went to Bert's big adventure when Isaac was just the sickest he's ever been. It's a miracle we made it on the trip and did not spend the trip in the hospital.

Podcast Host (3:16)

But how close was that? I don't think I realized that at the time. Like, yeah, you guys were sort of a family that was, like, teetering. Should we go? Should we not? I don't know that we shared that.

Isaac's Mom (3:25)

I mean, I think I saved our application till the very last minute because he was so sick. And I'm like, surely, you know, we. We can't.

Co-Host or Producer (3:34)

I. I remember vividly waiting for the Monal at the Contemporary hotel and just the look on your face and, like, him. And we were like, we need to get them back to the hotel. So with his.

Isaac's Mom (3:49)

His heart failure, he would throw up a lot, and that made it hard. And that was the night of the dance party. He had been going the whole day, and, yeah, going back to the Polynesian every night. Our room was like a hospital room. And we, like, redid him for the next day, but we had just been listed for a heart transplant right before we went to Disney. And they had told us, you know, a year and a half, two years. And we had talked on the trip about how awesome it would be if we came home from Disney. And. And by some miracle, we got our call. And 18 days after we got home from Disney, what did we get, Isaac? What'd we get?

Podcast Host (4:32)

I know one thing you didn't get is a pair of shoes. I love the way this kid rolls without shoes, man.

Isaac's Mom (4:37)

Can you tell him what we got, or do I have to say it? Me. Well, he. We got his call for his heart transplant, and 18 days after Disney, we had only waited 100 days.

Podcast Host (4:49)

Yeah, hold on for one second here.

Podcast Sponsor Announcer (4:50)

Let's.

Podcast Host (4:50)

Let's not roll through that for just a second.

Co-Host or Producer (4:52)

Right. That's kind of a big deal.

Podcast Host (4:53)

Yeah, that's kind of a big deal. And I really want to know the emotions that are associated with something like that, because are you reluctant at first? Like, you're hopeful, but also there's got to be a part of you that is, like, preparing for the worst. And then that call comes in and. Tell us about that.

Isaac's Dad (5:08)

Well, I think it's, you know, when you get listed and you get the official letter from, you know that you are on the list. Like, you're always like, okay, we need to plan. We need to prep. We need to have you pack out bags and everything else in case we do get that phone call and.

Podcast Host (5:25)

Because you got to be ready to go, like, right then.

Podcast Sponsor Announcer (5:27)

Yeah.

Isaac's Dad (5:28)

Because.

Podcast Host (5:28)

Yeah.

Isaac's Dad (5:29)

I mean, they were. When they called us on the. It was March 15th of 2024.

Co-Host or Producer (5:35)

Those are days you never forget.

Isaac's Dad (5:36)

Yeah. And we're coming up on his second anniversary for the transplant. At 3:30 in the morning, her phone called or she got a phone call. And of course, I wake up because it's 3:30 in the morning, and I'm at the age now where no good phone calls come after midn. So I'm like, of course it wakes me up. And I'm like, oh, my gosh. I'm like, who. Who passed? Is her mom? Okay? Everything else. And then I hear her say, we have one. And I immediately knew. And of course, I jump up. Quick side story. I had only been. I had been out of surgery for just 12 hours. I ruptured my bicep tendon and had surgery literally 12 hours before he got his phone call.

Isaac's Mom (6:19)

So any hospital pictures you see of dad, he's got.

Isaac's Dad (6:21)

I'm in. Yeah. I'm in a sling. So we jump up. And of course, first thing I think is, we are not ready. We don't have clothes packed. We don't have nothing.

Isaac's Mom (6:30)

So luckily, we had our Disney suitcases.

Co-Host or Producer (6:33)

Okay.

Podcast Host (6:33)

All right.

Isaac's Mom (6:35)

Yeah. But it is. You're so nervous it's not gonna work because obviously nothing up until transplant has worked, but he has had the best two years ever. He's. Can you tell him what you're doing now?

Co-Host or Producer (6:50)

What are you doing now, Isaac? What have you been up to, buddy?

Isaac's Mom (6:53)

Can you say it? He is so shy.

Co-Host or Producer (6:55)

It's okay.

Isaac's Mom (6:56)

It's okay. He is doing karate. He. He enjoyed our Disney trip so much that he chose a Disney cruise for his Make a Wish.

Isaac's Dad (7:03)

All right.

Co-Host or Producer (7:04)

Okay.

Isaac's Mom (7:05)

And as you were talking about saying thank you to the listeners and after his transplant, y' all fed us. You kept the boys entertained at the hospital. I mean, there were constant deliveries, constant Uber eats cards. Like, I. I want to personally say thank you for taking care of us at such a, you know, a time where he's all we can think about.

Co-Host or Producer (7:31)

And that's something people would need to know about the fairy God.

Podcast Host (7:34)

Yeah Program. That's a good place to talk about it right now. And again, when I think the word family is thrown around a lot when it comes to business, because I think it's a branded word that makes you want to feel like you're part of something. But this truly is a family. I mean, when you say if you have a family member outside of Burke's big adventure, if we're not even talking about our trip that's in the hospital, what do you do? You go to the hospital, and you make sure that they have some food there and you can crush some time with them.

Podcast Sponsor Announcer (8:00)

Right.

Podcast Host (8:00)

That's what our fairy godparent program is also, is that we've got kids that are in that hospital room for weeks, if not months at a time. So anytime one of our kids from any past trip. I mean, you are part of our family. Goes to the hospital, we've got fairy godparents that go and visit and, like you said, give you Uber Eats cards, deliver food, hang out, give, and maybe even if you guys just need to bail for a couple of minutes and go home, that's what our fairy godparents are for. At that. At the hospital, everybody was amazing. What's that?

Co-Host or Producer (8:32)

The cruise was one of my favorites.

Isaac's Dad (8:34)

Yeah.

Podcast Host (8:35)

Okay.

Isaac's Mom (8:36)

We just went at Christmas, so they're all still.

Co-Host or Producer (8:39)

And I feel it's so fitting because, of course, Burt's Big Adventure. We always wear our matching shirts, so it's easy for us to find each other in the parks. And we're all wearing our red shirts today. And I remember when you guys got the call and Isaac was going in for his heart transplant, everybody, we all banded together, and everybody wore a red shirt just to send, like, healing vibes, good vibes, that the surgery would be successful, his body would accept his new heart. And I'll never forget that after photo you sent to us, he looks like a different kid.

Isaac's Mom (9:09)

He is truly, totally different.

Podcast Host (9:11)

I love it.

Isaac's Mom (9:12)

I love it in the best way.

Co-Host or Producer (9:13)

Yeah. I mean, just, like, the color was back to his face again. And I'm just like, oh, this is the. It's the greatest gift that you could ever receive. And it was so awesome to see him get that gift organ donation. Yes.

Podcast Host (9:27)

And again, to you guys that have been donating a Birch Big adventure and our fairy godparent program. Thank you. I mean, you hear it right here, the difference that it can make. So thanks for being here and sharing, you guys. Really appreciate it.

Isaac's Dad (9:39)

Thank you very much.

Co-Host or Producer (9:40)

All right, now, Isaac, get back on that bouncy house.

Podcast Host (9:42)

Get in there.

Co-Host or Producer (9:42)

He's like, my shoes are off. I'm ready to get back to the bouncy house. I got a new heart and I got. I got to work it out.

Podcast Host (9:47)

All right, coming up in a couple of seconds here we are going to introduce you to Gunner. You talk about the definition of special. He's special because he's the only kid in the entire world. World to have the condition that he has. We'll talk to Gunner and his family next. Burt's Big Adventure 2026 on Q997 the bird show.

Podcast Sponsor Announcer (10:05)

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