When the Backstreet Boys were unable to meet last week with a 5-year-old fan suffering from leukemia, the national media snatched the story up from the small Michigan newspaper where it first appeared and ran with it as a national entertainment news headline.

That's just not fair, say teen heartthrobs A.J. McLean, Kevin Richardson, Howie D.Dorough, Brian Littrell and Nick Carter. In fact, the band was honored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 1999 as the Celebrity Wish Grantors of the Year.

"We are hurt by these reports that we deliberately did not see an ailing child in Detroit," reads the band's response to the negative insinuations. "We are committed to our fans and whenever possible make every effort to meet as many as possible. Due to our current tour schedule and the amount of requests we receive, we're unfortunately unable to meet everyone."

The Backstreet Boys are currently in the midst of a hectic tour promoting their eight-time platinum album "Millennium."

Patrizia DiLucchio

MONDAY, NOV. 8