In Memoriam : Shannon Tavarez loses battle with leukemia at age 11

Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old star of “The Lion King” on Broadway, died after a long battle with leukemia, Broadway.com reported.

“Shannon’s strength and her happy, positive spirit will live on in our hearts and minds each day,” her mother Odiney Brown said in a statement. “[Her] dream was to perform on stage, and that she did. We are grateful for the ongoing support from her Lion King family and the Broadway community. Shannon wanted to recruit people everywhere to ‘get swabbed’ and help save the lives of those in need of a bone marrow transplant. In her memory, our family and friends will work tirelessly to carry out her wish through MatchShannon.com. It is our hope that Shannon’s legacy will continue to inspire other brave children battling leukemia.”

Shannon Tavarez Loses Battle with Leukemia

The singer from Queens, New York, who recently played Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway, passed away after a long battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

Doctors had been unable to find a bone-marrow match for a transplant. Tavarez had received an umbilical-cord transplant in late August as an alternative.

Tavarez had a courageous battle against the disease, taking a pro-active approach to her diagnosis. She made appearances in PSA videos urging people of all ethnicities to sign up as bone marrow donors. Her fight drew the attention of celebrities including Alicia Keys and Rihanna.

The 11-year-old made her Broadway debut in September 2009 and had been appearing in four shows a week at the Minskoff Theatre before falling ill.