'Lion King' Actress Shannon Tavarez Dies at 11

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 2nd 2010 08:47AM

Shannon Tavarez, a young soprano who starred in 'The Lion King' on Broadway, has died at age 11 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, Broadway World is reporting. The actress played Young Nala from September 2009 until April, when she began feeling pain in her lower back and legs. Soon, the emerging star was diagnosed and the search for a donor began.

Her story drew the attention of numerous celebrities, including Alicia Keys and Rihanna, who led campaigns to find a bone-marrow match for Tavarez.

But doctors were unable to find a match for a bone-marrow transplant, so as an alternative she received umbilical-cord blood treatment in August. Since leaving 'The Lion King,' Tavarez had undergone extensive chemotherapy and had been staying at a New York City hospital.

Tavarez got the role of Young Nala after wowing producers at her first open audition. According to Broadway World, she attended Harlem School of the Arts for vocals and piano and started singing at age 3.

In 'The Lion King,' Young Nala and Young Simba sing the bouncy song 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King.'

Leave your thoughts and prayers for her family on Facebook

Tags: Shannon Tavarez, The Lion King

Comments

(85)

Tuesday 02 November

By BIG MAMA CORNBREAD

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God bless her soul.

By Jch1979

my thoughts prayers go out to Shannon Tavarez's family. It is very sad to see someone die so young

By NATHAN

She one with the Angel now.Sing on in heaven Shannon .

By SWAN44

Any time a person dies of that horrid disease, cancer it is a horrible thing. This little girl might well have been saved if people would just pay attention!! Read it again,the part about no match of a bone marrow donor. It's such a simple test and your name goes into a registry. My own son died, he was 28 years old, from Hodgkin's Disease. My daughter was a perfect match. But, reason being he died? He was already a stage 4B when it was found. Now my daughter is a cancer patient with almost the same disease as my son. I too am a cancer patient. It's so unfair that this disease can take over a life. But, it can.
What I am saying is, most people feel sorry for the patient and family, but won't take the time to donate their bone marrow.
For ALL eyes reading this, it can happen too you or someone you love. It's a small price to pay in helping someone live. Please, donate your bone marrow!! Please!!!

By Karen Green

SWAN44 I am very sorry that you lost your son to Cancer and all that you are going through now. However, in many cases in order to be a marrow match you must be of the same race. This fact makes finding a donor all the harder. I am an adoptive mother to a wonderful 15 yr. old young man who is hispanic, caucasion and american indian. He has recently been diagnosed with Leukemia. So I know what I am talking about. One factor in my sons favor is that I know the names of his older siblings. Hopefully one of them will match. Although I don't want to contact his birth family I will if that is my only recourse.

To Shannon's family and friends please except my condolences. God added a bright star to his chorus of angels.

By c8smum

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our daughter's bone-marrow transplant lasted 9 months; then the leukemia was back and we lost her a month later.

she fought hard from the age of 14 to 19. the chemo itself takes an enormous toll on their young bodies.

we are not meant to bury our children.

By Debbie

My condolences go out to her family. R.I.P. Shannon.

By lnyk

This little actress/singerShannon Tavarez, loses her life at the heart-breaking ago of 11.While the press continues to cover Charlie Sheen's every move.pathetic!!!

By Betty

God bless Little Shannon and her family. She's now singing in God's Heavenly Children's Choir. May God's grace give the family strength and understanding during these difficult days.

By ola

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condolences for family and friends of the lil treasure girl. I read that kids who are sick and have any kind of cancer they care more abt others than themselfs - they want other people to stop crying and be strong - she is now singing for the angels - RIP lovely.

By lynn

As someone who has donated bone marrow, I'd like to say it's pretty easy to do. If you are military, you can check out the CW Bill Young Marrow Donor Program. If you're civilian, I'm sure a quick internet search will get you in the right direction. It's a shame that such a young girl lost her life, you can help another family by registering and getting matched with their loved one.

By Donna

My prayers are with Shannon and her family, and friends at this very sad time.

By Jorge

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never heard of her but after listeneing to her singing on the youtube clips I know why. she wasn't very good.

Wednesday 03 November

By honey

that was not right to say at all you must be a very uncaring and heartless person to say something like that when her family could read it.

By jule

your a crude , rude, and discusting person!! May u rot in hell!!!

By Linda

She was 11 years old and the last few months of her very short life she suffered a lot of pain before she died, and all you can say is something negative, shame on you.

By Sherry Myers

I, too, understand the utmost importance of more people all across the world to donate their bone marrow. My son is in remission from AML but we lost many dear friends while at St. Jude due to the fact they did not have a bone marrow match! The sad part of this stroy is, unless you're at a hosptial like St. Jude, the medical system wants to charge "you" as a donor, to donate! I still have a packet of information started from 4 years ago that I wanted to send to OPRAH for her to do a story on "Bone Marrow Donars", knowing she could reach many.
THANKS to all of you who is a donar. My son did not find a match but is in remission at this time.

By jktejas

Sloan Kettering in NYC has one of the finest pediatric cancer centers in the world.....also one of the finest breast cancer centers. When I was receiving radiation for BC, I saw some of the young patients there....some around Shannon's age, in wheelchairs, in protective bubbles, with no hair, etc. Now that was a dose of reality. I just said to me, myself and I, "Get over yourself.....if you died tomorrow, at least you've had a life." These young kids haven't even had a shot at life yet.....now that's really unfair.

By Christina Valdez

So young to die,however no more pain.
God bless her little soul,may she rest in peace...

By Marie

OMG...what a loss, I got chills listening to Shannon sing Tommorow, she was a star in the making here on earth, now she's a star in the heavens, our loss....my deepest sympathy to her family & friends.

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