![]() ![]() “Friday morning we took a group to the Disney Princess makeover boutique, and since Adrian had gone through chemo it had been quite some time since she had her normal hair,” Molly said as she fought back tears. As the group arrived at Disney, and the families started interacting with each other, you could slowly see Adrian come out of her shell.” But it wasn’t until that Friday that the Bert’s staff really saw Adrian’s personality begin to shine. “There were so many times we introduced her and she hid behind her mom and didn’t say much. “Like most children who go through chemo, Adrian came to us very reserved and shy,” Molly said. When the Bert’s Big Adventure staff met 7-year-old Adrian, she was battling Leukemia and had recently been in and out of chemotherapy, which had really affected her. On the most recent trip, one child in particular stood out to Molly. “The children get the full VIP experience with a private chartered jet decked out with Disney decorations and flight staff wearing Mickey ears, a red carpet rolled out for their entrance, and a devoted team that is dedicated to giving them pretty much anything they want during their five days at Disney World.” Adrian “The trip itself really provides families time to spend together without the stress of having to be on top of things all the time,” said Molly Darby, Bert’s Big Adventure’s executive director. In an effort to make this possible, not only are the trip’s expenses paid for by the organization, but a medical staff also joins the trip and each child is paired with a Fairy Godparent volunteer to help make their experience the best it can be, while also letting them just be a family. The team at Bert’s Big Adventure has made it their mission to not only provide a joyful experience for the children but to also take some of the responsibility off of the parents’ shoulders. And while the illness takes its toll on their little bodies, the strength, compassion and love that they and their families exude is never defeated. Many of the children have spent most of their lives in and out of the hospital, have undergone numerous tests and procedures, have endured surgeries and endless medications, and have felt the effects that never- ending medical bills have taken on their families. Many of the children who go on these trips, ranging in age from 5 to 12 years old, have been faced with illnesses that not only take a toll on their bodies, but on their families as well. In 2003, Bert’s Big Adventure launched by taking seven children and their families to Disney World and has since grown into an annual trip that now includes 12 to 15 families. The result was Bert’s Big Adventure, a nonprofit organization established in 2002 that provides an all-expenses-paid, five-day trip to Walt Disney World for children living with chronic and terminal illnesses and their families. When radio host Bert Weiss launched his popular morning radio show, “The Bert Show,” on Q99.7, he knew he wanted to use his voice to make an impact on the Atlanta community. But for the families helped by Bert’s Big Adventure, a trip to Disney World represents a memory- making escape for those who desperately need quality time together. Atlanta nonprofit provides the trip of a lifetime for children battling chronic and terminal illnesses and their families.į or most people, a trip to Walt Disney World is an exciting memory that will last a lifetime. ![]()
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