In July 2010, Rihanna found out about a young actress called Shannon Tavarez, who had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia three months earlier, aged eleven. Shannon had been playing Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King when she started getting pains in her legs. After visiting the doctor, she was diagnosed with leukaemia and the race was on to find her a bone marrow match, because she desperately needed a transplant. Because her dad was Dominican and her mom was African-American, this wasn’t going to be easy.
Rihanna wanted to do something for her, and along with Alicia Keys and 50 Cent, she appealed to her fans for help. She told People magazine: ‘[Shannon] should be performing on Broadway, but is confined to her bed, fighting for her life.
‘She needs to find a bone marrow donor to survive. I urge all my fans to register (as donors). It’s the most beautiful thing someone could do, to give the gift of life.’
Sadly a bone marrow match couldn’t be found for Shannon, and she had an umbilical cord blood transplant in August 2010. She died from leukaemia on 1 November 2010, and the lights at the theatre where The Lion King was being staged were dimmed. Her mum released a statement, which read: ‘Shannon’s dream was to perform on stage, and that she did.’
When Rihanna heard the news that Shannon had died, she was understandably upset. She tweeted: ‘Just got off of a plane ride and got horrible news that our little star Shannon Tavarez has lost her battle against leukaemia. Way too soon. Keep her family in your prayers.’