Shaun White answers letter from boy with same heart defect (video)

It’s not often kids hear from their heroes, but that’s just what happened to Jet Feirn, 9, on Tuesday.

Jet wrote a letter to Shaun White 15 months ago after being told by his mom that he was born with the same heart defect as White. Feirn and White also share a love for snowboarding, as NBC KARE 11 in Minnesota reports.

Jet was born less than four pounds with the heart defect tetralogy of Fallot, leading to two open-heart surgeries before kindergarten, according to the report.

The TV station first aired a piece on Feirn’s letter for White last month. A viewer with connections to White noticed and made sure the Olympic champion got the message.

White wrote back. Feirn received an autographed snowboard, helmet, goggles, a backpack and a poster on Tuesday.

Video: Shaun White’s band on ‘The Tonight Show’

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