shannon tavarez

Young actress Shannon Tavarez, who played the role of Young Nala in the Broadway production of "The Lion King", has lost her fight against Leukemia at the tragicly young age of 11. She had strived to raise awareness for the disease and for bone marrow transplants and her call inspired celebrities and the public. Alicia Keys, Rihanna and 50 Cent took up her cause. At least 10,000 people registered as bone marrow donors because of it.

Shannon died Monday afternoon at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, on Long Island, of acute myelogenous leukemia, a common type of leukemia among adults, but rare among children. "She was a remarkable and talented young lady who touched the lives of those she entertained, as well as those who cared for her over the past several months," medical center said Tuesday in a statement. In August, we reported on Shannon's difficulty in finding a suitable bone marrow transplant and her decision to try cord blood instead. "It's rare that you meet such a spirited girl at such a young age," said Katharina Harf, who runs a donation center. "She touched so many people to register. She was really, really a special girl."