New Kids on the Block saved my life

Can boy bands fans save the world? Maybe. They can certainly save each other. In this episode, we meet Theresa Crockett, of California, who needed a kidney and found hope – and a lifeline – through her love of New Kids on the Block. This is a feel-good story about love between strangers (both of whom are “Blockheads”). It’s also about supportive spouses, family members, and a guy named Donnie Wahlberg.

Read more about their story here: ⁠https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/15/magazine/new-kids-nkotb-fans-kidney-transplant/ ⁠

This “All Kinds of Love” series is supported by UC Berkeley's ⁠Greater Good Science Center⁠, as part of its "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, supported by the ⁠John Templeton Foundation⁠.

And learn more about kidney donation here:

⁠⁠https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/core-kidney⁠⁠

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Also, Love Letters is an advice column; send your anonymous questions about relationships to loveletters@boston.com or through this anonymous form. When you ask a question, you help others feel less alone.

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