MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
And now to a story of ingenuity, an unusual obsession and cake. Lâerin Dobra of Prairieville, La., was stumped. She was trying to come up with an idea for her 2-year-oldâs birthday party.
L'ERIN DOBRA: He wasn't to the age at that point where he can say, you know, Mom, I want a pirate party or a race car party. You know, I was talking to my husband. I was like, well, he does love Morris Bart, so why not?
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Morris Bart, personal injury lawyer. His TV ads are ubiquitous in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Arkansas.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MORRIS BART: When you're hurt in an accident, call me and get the Bart advantage. One call - that's all.
GRAYSON: One call - that's all.
BLOCK: That's Grayson, Dobra's toddler, and he may be Morris Bart's biggest fan.
DOBRA: Can you say Morris Bart?
GRAYSON: Morris Bart.
DOBRA: What does Morris Bart say?
GRAYSON: One call - that's all.
CORNISH: It was a no-brainer. Make that kid happy. Throw him a Morris Bart-themed birthday party.
DOBRA: I thought to myself, what decorations am I going to get? Because I can't go down to, you know, Party City or a local party story and go, you know, on the attorney-themed party aisle.
BLOCK: So Dobra's family pitched in with a cake featuring a likeness of the personal injury lawyer, a Morris Bart T-shirt, a life-sized cut-out. Morris Bart himself even sent an autographed picture.
BART: You get many requests for autographed pictures. I get stopped on the street all the time. We have lots of giveaways, but this one was an unusual request, I must admit.
CORNISH: The party was a hit with Grayson, and Morris Bart has since invited the toddler to visit him in New Orleans.
BLOCK: It's the trip that Grayson's mom says she might use as motivation for potty training. And can we hear Grayson one more time?
GRAYSON: One call - that's all. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
