Backstreet Boys Make Surprise Visit to Injured Girl

Backstreet Boys Make Surprise Visit to Injured Girl
By Eric Deabill
November 01, 2008
PA HomePage

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Star-power made quite the difference in life of a local hit & run victim. A driver hit Jacki Nieratko 8-weeks ago on Davis Street in Scranton. She suffered brain trauma, a shattered pelvis and was left in a coma. But Saturday she had reason to smile.

It’s Saturday afternoon at the John Heinz Institute in Wilkes-Barre and the mood is anything but normal. There's a buzz in the air…

It’s all because the backstreet boys are in the building to surprise hit and run victim Jacki Nieratko. Jacki's fiancee Tim Black said, “It’s a dream come true for her. She's a fan of the Backstreet Boys since I've met her. This will help her morale and push her in the right direction so she can fight harder."

As the pop stars went into Jacki's room, the only expression that came over her face was shock. “It’s crazy... I can't believe it," said Jacki.

After singing to Jacki, the guys signed autographs and her family shared a few jokes.

Jacki's had a tough recovery process from the accident and this visit brightened her spirits. She still has rods in her pelvis that have to come out before she can start walking again.

Radio station 98.5 KRZ helped get the Backstreet Boys on board after Jacki's life long friend Amber Pacovsky told her story.

Amanda & Jeff Walker said, “They were moved by Jackie's story and the fact that her friend since she was five wanted to do something for her."

And do something they did, lifting her spirits and helping to focus less on the pain. Pacovsky said, “That tells me that they're real people and that they care and that they care about other people. They don't have a big head / egos because they're famous. That's a fan in there and they care about everybody."