By Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN —
Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old star of "The Lion King" on Broadway, died on Monday after a long battle with leukemia, Broadway.com reported.
Tavarez, who played Young Nala in the musical, received an umbilical-cord transplant in August after doctors were unable to find a bone marrow match despite several drives to find a donor.
Tavarez earned the role last year after an open-call audition at Harlem's Apollo Theater. She made her debut in September but fell ill and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in March.
Her struggle drew the attention of stars including Alicia Keys and Rihanna, and Tavarez herself appeared in ads urging people to register as bone marrow donors, according to the website.
