Her bright smile and sweet voice earned 11-year-old Shannon Tavarez a recurring role as Nala in "The Lion King" on Broadway. Now the pint-sized actress is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia three months ago. Superstars Alicia Keys and Rihanna are spreading the word in the hopes of saving Tavarez's life whose only chance of survival is finding a bone marrow match, reports PEOPLE. Both stars are asking fans to become donors.
Her bright smile and sweet voice earned 11-year-old Shannon Tavarez a recurring role as Nala in “The Lion King” on Broadway. Now the pint-sized actress is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia three months ago. Tavarez is now in need of a bone marrow transplant. Superstars Alicia Keys and Rihanna are spreading the word in the hopes of saving Tavarez’s life. Her only chance of survival is finding a bone marrow match, reports PEOPLE. Both stars are asking fans to become donors. “For her, the sky is the limit, but now she’s fighting for her life,” said Keys after visiting Tavarez in hospital. “[She] should be performing on Broadway, but is confined to her bed, fighting for her life,” added Rihanna. “She needs to find a bone marrow donor to survive. I urge all my fans to register [as donors]. It’s the most beautiful thing someone could do, to give the gift of life.” Tavarez’s family, friends and “Lion King” co-stars are organizing bone marrow drives in New York City. For more information about how you can help Shannon Tavarez, visit DKMS Americas or join her Facebook page and pledge your support.