Teen surprised by favorite 'Boy Meets World' actor Rider Strong on his birthday
Alex, a big fan of the actor from the '90s sitcom, turns 13 today.
— -- One teen has pulled off the ultimate surprise after "Boy Meets World" actor Rider Strong sent birthday wishes to his younger brother Alex, who turns 13 today.
Strong tweeted the video to his biggest fan, Alex Hengsterman, who has Down syndrome, after Alex's older brother Jackson Hengsterman, 15, asked the actor to send a special message to his sibling.
“Alex, Rider Strong here,” Strong said in the footage. “Dude, you have so many people that love you. I’ve never seen so many Twitter messages and emails and Facebook notes and phone calls and text messages from all over the world. I had everybody in the cast of ‘Boy Meets World’ reaching out to me. Will Friedle sent me a text from Ireland last night all because your brother Jackson wanted to spread the word and rally some support to let me know that today is your birthday and that you are a huge fan of 'Boy Meets World' and Shawn Hunter in particular so let me just say thank you…
“Happy Birthday,” he added. “You’re turning 13 today, which is exactly how old I was when I started working on ‘Boy Meets World.’”
Alex idolizes Strong and his character, Shawn Hunter, from the '90s sitcom, Jackson told ABC News.
"Alex is developing into a teenager and from what I see on the show, is Rider is a cool example of a teenager and that's what Alex is striving to be," Jackson told ABC News Tuesday. "If Rider sends it, [Alex] will be surprised.
"Alex was born in 2004 and I didn't really understand Down syndrome ... but from the beginning we were brothers," he added. "We've been best friends. We hang out every day. We argue like brothers, but I am really thankful to have him in my life."
Jackson said Alex often watches "Boy Meets World" reruns on his iPad.
On Sunday, Jackson tweeted a video of Alex doing his best Shawn Hunter impression, complete with his hair brushed out of his face -- just like the fictional character from the show.
Jackson said he wanted Strong to send a video with birthday wishes for Alex, just to make him smile.
"He was so happy," Jackson said of Alex's reaction, which was recorded on video. "He has watched it five times since."
Stacey Hengsterman, mom to Jackson and Alex, told ABC News that she and her husband, Rick, are proud of Jackson's effort to surprise his brother.
"Jackson ... he's always had big ideas and he adores his brother and his sister Lauren," Hengsterman of Clifton Park, New York, told ABC News. "I really think Alex thinks Rider Strong is his friend and he will be so happy that he has had this connection."
