'Lion King' actress Shannon Tavarez to get transplant of umbilical-cord blood for leukemia treatment
Friday, August 13th 2010, 4:00 AM
A little "Lion King" actress from Queens stricken with acute myeloid leukemia will have a potentially lifesaving operation next week.
Shannon Tavarez, an 11-year-old soprano from Bellerose who played Young Nala in the hit Broadway musical, will get a transplant of umbilical-cord blood. It has been used for several years as an alternative to bone marrow for treating leukemia.
"I'm just praying everything works," said mom Odiney Brown. Brown and Shannon's doctors opted for the treatment when a bone-marrow donor couldn't be found for Shannon, who is African-American and Hispanic, two groups that are under-represented in marrow donor registries.
Shannon is undergoing intensive chemotherapy at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York in New Hyde Park, L.I., to prep for her transplant on Tuesday.
"She's in good spirits. She's singing and playing the piano," her mom said. "She can't wait. She calls this her 'new birthday.'"
The National Cord Blood Program at New York Blood Center found a workable, though not perfect, match for Shannon. Brown said the donor is anonymous.
Meanwhile, bone marrow drives that donor center DKMS Americas has been holding for Shannon will continue Sunday at rapper 50 Cent's community garden in Queens. Fitty registered as a donor and made a video in Shannon's honor.
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