Steve Harvey was in the middle of his morning radio show when his producer handed him a phone that would change everything. The conversation that followed was broadcast live to millions and by the end of it, Steve was crying uncontrollably on air. It was Wednesday morning, June 14th, 2023 at 8:47 a.m. Eastern time.

 Steve Harvey was hosting his nationally syndicated morning radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, from his studio in Atlanta. The show was going exactly as planned. Steve was in the middle of his Strawberry Letter segment, giving relationship advice to a caller when his producer, Gary, walked into the studio with an urgent expression on his face.

Gary held up a phone and mouthed the words family emergency to Steve. In 30 years of radio, Gary had never interrupted Steve during a live segment unless it was absolutely critical. Steve’s heart immediately started racing. Family emergency calls during live shows usually meant one thing, tragedy.

 Steve quickly wrapped up his advice to the current caller and addressed his audience of over 8 million listeners. “Folks, I need to take an important call right now,” Steve said, his voice already showing concern. “Bear with me for just a moment.” Steve took the phone from Gary, and what he heard on the other end of the line would become one of the most emotional moments ever broadcast on radio.

 The caller was Dr. Patricia Martinez, a pediatric oncologist at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Steve had never heard of Dr. Martinez, but she was about to deliver news that would change his life forever. Mr. Harvey, Dr. Martinez said, I’m calling about a patient of mine, and I hope you’ll forgive me for interrupting your show, but I felt you needed to hear this immediately.

 What Steve didn’t know was that two years earlier, a 12-year-old boy named Timothy Jackson had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Timothy’s family had been devastated by the diagnosis, but Timothy himself had shown remarkable courage throughout his treatment. Timothy’s one source of joy during his darkest days had been listening to Steve Harvey’s radio show every morning.

 Even when he was too weak from chemotherapy to get out of bed, Timothy insisted on listening to Steve’s jokes, his advice, and his daily motivational messages. Timothy’s mother, Sharon Jackson, had written several letters to Steve’s show over the past two years, updating him on Timothy’s battle and thanking him for being a bright spot in her son’s difficult journey.

 But those letters had never reached Steve directly. Nye had been handled by his staff and filed away with thousands of other fan letters. What Sharon Jackson didn’t know was that Timothy had been secretly saving money from birthday gifts and allowances to try to meet Steve Harvey in person. It had become Timothy’s biggest dream to shake hands with the man whose voice had carried him through the hardest time of his life. Mr. Harvey, Dr.

 Martinez continued, I have a young patient named Timothy Jackson who has been battling brain cancer for 2 years. He’s been listening to your show every single day throughout his treatment. Steve felt his throat tighten. He had received calls about sick children before, but something about this felt different. How is Timothy doing, doctor? Steve asked gently.

 There was a pause on the other end of the line that seemed to last forever. Mr. Harvey, Timothy passed away yesterday morning, Dr. Martinez said softly. But before he died, he asked me to make sure you knew something. Steve’s eyes immediately filled with tears. The studio fell completely silent, except for the sound of Steve’s labored breathing as he tried to maintain his composure on air. Dr.

 Martinez continued, her own voice breaking with emotion. Timothy wanted me to tell you that listening to your show every morning gave him the strength to fight for two more years than the doctors thought possible. He said your voice was like having a friend with him every day. Steve put his head in his hands, overcome with emotion.

 His 8 million listeners could hear him trying to control his breathing. Dr. I, I don’t know what to say, Steve managed to whisper. There’s more, Mr. Harvey, Dr. Martinez said gently. Timothy had been saving money to try to meet you. He had $347 in a jar by his bed. Yesterday, before he died, he asked his mother to use that money to help other sick children hear your show in hospitals.

 That’s when Steve Harvey completely broke down on live radio. Steve began sobbing uncontrollably, unable to speak for nearly 2 minutes. The sound of a grown man crying over the loss of a child he had never met, but who had been touched by his work was one of the most powerful moments ever broadcast on radio. I’m sorry, Steve finally managed to say through his tears, I’m so sorry.

 I had no idea. I never knew. Gary, the producer, was crying, too. The entire radio crew was in tears as they watched Steve grapple with the magnitude of what he had just learned. Martinez said, “Timothy’s mother, Sharon, is here with me. She’d like to speak to you if that’s okay.

” Steve nodded, though he couldn’t speak. Sharon Jackson, came on the line, and her voice was steady despite the pain she was clearly feeling. Mr. Harvey, this is Sharon Timothy’s mom. I just wanted to thank you for giving my son hope every single morning for 2 years. Steve was crying so hard he could barely breathe, let alone speak. Mrs. Jackson, I am so so sorry for your loss.

Steve managed to say, I wish I had known about Timothy. I wish I could have met him. Mr. Harvey, Sharon said gently. You did meet him every morning at 6:00 a.m. You were right there in his room with him. You made him laugh when he was scared. You made him feel strong when he felt weak.

 You were exactly what he needed. Sharon Jackson continued with a revelation that completely devastated Steve. Mr. Harvey, Timothy recorded your motivational segments every morning on his phone when the pain was too bad for him to sleep at night. He would play your voice telling him that he could overcome anything.

 Your words were the last thing he listened to before he passed away. Steve Harvey, one of the most composed entertainers in the business, was crying so hard that he couldn’t continue the show. For the first time in his career, he had to take an unscheduled break during a live broadcast. When Steve returned to the air 15 minutes later, his voice was still thick with emotion.

 But he had made a decision that would change his show forever. Ladies and gentlemen, I just learned about a young man named Timothy Jackson who lost his battle with brain cancer yesterday. For 2 years, Timothy listened to this show every morning. And somehow, without me ever knowing it, our show became part of his fight to stay alive.

 Steve paused to collect himself. Timothy saved $347 from his allowance and birthday money because he wanted to meet me. Instead, his dying wish was to use that money to help other sick children hear this show in hospitals. Steve’s voice broke again. So, starting tomorrow, we’re launching the Timothy Jackson Foundation.

 We’re going to make sure that every children’s hospital in America has access to this show, and we’re going to help families dealing with childhood cancer however we can. The response to Steve’s emotional breakdown and Timothy’s story was immediate and unprecedented. Within hours, the show’s website crashed from the volume of people trying to learn more about Timothy Jackson and how they could help.

 Donations poured in from listeners around the world. By the end of the week, over $2 million had been raised for the Timothy Jackson Foundation. But more importantly, hundreds of parents of sick children reached out to share their own stories about how Steve’s show had helped their families through difficult times. 3 weeks later, Sharon Jackson appeared as a guest on Steve’s television show.

 When Steve saw her walk onto the stage, he immediately stood up and hugged her, both of them crying again. “Mrs. Jackson, your son changed my life, Steve said. He reminded me why I really do this work. Sharon had brought something with her that she wanted to share with Steve and the audience, Timothy’s journal, where he had written about listening to the radio show every morning.

 May 15th, Sharon read from Timothy’s journal, “Mr. Steve made me laugh today. Even though I felt really sick, he said that God has a plan for everyone, even when we can’t see it. I think maybe my plan is to get better and help other kids like me. June 3rd, Mr. Steve talked about never giving up on your dreams.

 My dream is to meet him someday and tell him, “Thank you for being my friend when I felt alone.” Steve was crying again and so was everyone in the studio audience. The Timothy Jackson Foundation became one of the most successful charitable organizations ever launched by an entertainer. Within its first year, the foundation had installed radio and entertainment systems in over 200 children’s hospitals across the country.

But the foundation did more than just provide entertainment to sick children. It created support networks for families, funded research into childhood cancers, and provided financial assistance to families struggling with medical bills. Steve Harvey’s emotional breakdown on live radio changed how he approached his show forever.

 He began paying closer attention to the letters and emails from listeners, especially those dealing with serious challenges. He also started a segment called Timothy’s Time where he would share uplifting messages specifically for children and families facing serious illnesses. “Timothy taught me that we never know who’s listening and what they’re going through,” Steve said during a later interview.

 “Every word we say on the air might be exactly what someone needs to hear to keep fighting.” Steve began making unannounced visits to children’s hospitals around the country, spending time with young patients and their families. He would often stay for hours talking with children, taking pictures, and providing comfort to families facing the unthinkable.

 I do this for Timothy. Steve would tell the families he visited. He showed me that sometimes being present in someone’s life, even just through a radio, can make the difference between giving up and holding on. Timothy’s journal, excerpts of which Sharon shared with Steve’s permission, was eventually published as a book called Letters to Mr. Steve.

 All proceeds went to the Timothy Jackson Foundation. The book became a best-seller and has been translated into 12 languages. Parents around the world use Timothy’s words to help their own children find hope during difficult times. Every year on June 14th, the anniversary of the phone call that changed everything, Steve Harvey dedicates his entire radio show to Timothy Jackson’s memory.

 He plays recordings of the original phone call, shares updates on the foundation’s work, and reads letters from families who have been helped by Timothy’s legacy. Timothy never got to meet me in person. Steve says during each anniversary show, but he taught me more about courage, hope, and the power of not giving up than anyone I’ve ever met face to face.

Sharon Jackson became a full-time advocate for childhood cancer research and family support services. She speaks at conferences around the world, sharing Timothy’s story and fighting for better resources for families dealing with childhood cancer. Timothy’s death was devastating, Sharon says. But knowing that his story has helped thousands of other families find hope and support makes me feel like his life had meaning beyond what any of us could have imagined.

 Today, the Timothy Jackson Foundation has raised over $50 million for childhood cancer research and family support services. It has helped over 10,000 families and funded groundbreaking research that has improved survival rates for children with the same type of cancer that took Timothy’s life. The foundation’s headquarters features a recording studio where children receiving treatment can record messages and songs that are played on radio stations around the world, continuing Timothy’s legacy of using radio to provide comfort and hope.

The phone call that made Steve Harvey cry on live television proved that sometimes the people we impact most are the ones we never meet. Timothy Jackson listened to Steve’s show every morning for two years, drawing strength and hope from a voice he heard through the radio. Steve never knew Timothy existed until after he was gone.

 But Timothy’s courage and faith transformed Steve’s understanding of his responsibility as an entertainer and public figure. Today, children in hospitals around the world listen to the Steve Harvey Morning Show through systems funded by the Timothy Jackson Foundation. Some of these children write letters to Steve, just as Timothy’s mother had done, creating new connections between a radio host and young people fighting for their lives.

Timothy started a conversation between me and children I’ll never meet. Steve says, “Every morning when I speak into this microphone, I’m talking to Timothy and to all the Timothys out there who need to hear that they matter, that their fight matters, and that someone is cheering for them.

” The phone call that interrupted Steve Harvey’s radio show lasted only 7 minutes, but it created a legacy that will last forever. Timothy Jackson’s courage in the face of terminal illness inspired a foundation that has helped thousands of families and funded research that may one day prevent other children from facing the same battle.

 Steve Harvey’s emotional response showed millions of listeners that successful people aren’t immune to heartbreak and that sometimes the most important thing a person with a platform can do is cry openly about injustice and loss. The conversation between a radio host and a grieving mother proved that love transcends death, that impact transcends physical presence, and that sometimes the most powerful connections happen between people who never meet face to face, but touch each other’s lives in ways that change everything.

Timothy Jackson never got to meet Steve Harvey in person, but through his story, he taught millions of people about the power of hope, the importance of fighting for what matters, and the reality that we never know whose life we might be changing just by showing up, and being authentically ourselves. If this incredible story of unexpected connection and lasting impact moved your heart, make sure to subscribe and hit that thumbs up button.

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