New Kids on the Block help OC teacher find kidney donor at recent concert

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An Orange County teacher received a life-saving gift with help from New Kids on the Block.

Theresa Crockett, who has Polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in her kidneys, attended one of the boy band's concerts last year, holding a sign that said she was looking for a donor. She had been searching for one since 2021.

"I was afraid, scared and didn't tell anyone other than my family," said Crockett.

Her son took it a step further and posted his mother's story on TikTok. The video quickly went viral.

Donnie Wahlberg, one of the group's founding members, was the first to see the poster.

"He folded it and said, 'I got you, I got you,' and when he said those words and gave us fist pumps, it's exactly what I needed to hear," said Crockett.

Soon after, the band brought the sign on stage and made the announcement. Crockett had no idea her life was about to change.

Another New Kids on the Block fan - Christina Meyer of Wisconsin - reached out to her and offered Crockett her kidney.

"I saw her banner and we kind of talked briefly while we were there," said Meyer. "I'm happy to be able to do this for her."

A photo posted to social media shows the pair smiling for a selfie with the caption, "The day we met."

Crockett's surgery has been scheduled for Aug. 31 and the kidney will reportedly be shipped from Wisconsin to L.A.

"I knew in my heart that if I reached out to them that something magical would happen and it has," said Crockett.

Now, the die-hard "Blockhead" said she's hoping for that same magic for her sister, who's also waiting for a kidney.