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  • 5/13/2024
A woman with Down Syndrome and dementia who loves the 80s lit up when her niece's husband showed up at her 60th birthday party dressed up as her favorite celebrity from the decade, Hulk Hogan, who she immediately remembered. Kerrin Meyer, from Long Island, New York, has never let Down Syndrome get in the way of her thirst for life, her family said, with Kerrin previously competing in the Special Olympics and loving to dance. Kerrin is also a fan of all things from the 1980s – specifically the famed wrestler Hulk Hogan. After Kerrin was diagnosed with dementia, her family decided they wanted to bring familiar characters back into her life. And so, before her milestone birthday celebrations, Kerrin's niece, Regina Albano, 42, started thinking of ways to make her aunt's day extra special. Regina's husband, Jesse, 42, a retired NYPD officer and veteran who loves making people laugh, suggested he would show up at the event dressed as The Hulkster before presenting Kerrin with a Hulk Hogan t-shirt she wanted. On April 11, Kerrin headed to her favorite local Olive Garden restaurant for her big celebrations. Then, as she waited for guests in the waiting area, Kerrin was approached by Jesse, who was dressed as Hogan. Jesse asked, "Are you a Hulkamania fan, sister?" Kerrin's eyes immediately widened with joy as, despite her dementia, she was brought back in time and said, "Hulk Hogan!" A loving Jesse then presented Kerrin with a Hulk Hogan t-shirt, in a beautiful moment Regina captured on video.
Transcript
00:00Let me see those muscles. Let me feel them.
00:03Oh yeah, that's a Hulkamania fan.
00:06Karen, who has dementia, had been struggling with the loss of her parents.
00:10So for her 60th birthday, her family wanted to do something special for her.
00:15And because she loves the 80s, family member Jessie dressed up as her favorite wrestler from back in the day to surprise her.
00:23How you doing, sister?
00:26I heard it's your 60th birthday today.
00:29Are you a Hulkamania fan, sister?
00:32Hulk Hogan.
00:33Yeah, Hulk Hogan.
00:35What do I got for you, sister?
00:38Hulk Hogan.
00:39Hulk Hogan.
00:40I love you.
00:42Yes.
00:43How old are you today?
00:4560.
00:4660.
00:47Let me see those muscles. Let me feel them.
00:50Oh yeah, that's a Hulkamania fan.
00:52Look at those guns. Look at those pythons.
00:55Her family told us seeing her eyes light up because she recognized a familiar star from the past was a truly amazing moment.

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