11-Year-Old Broadway Star Loses Battle With Cancer

Shannon Tavarez, the Lion King Broadway starlet, has died after fighting a long battle against acute myeloid leukemia.

Doctors were unable to find the 11-year-old from Queens, New York, a bone marrow transplant.  Shannon's situation received great attention from stars Alicia Keys and Rihanna, who both campaigned to get the singer the transplant she needed.  In late August, Tavarez received an umbilical cord transplant as an alternate measure.

Tavarez debuted on Broadway as Nala in the Lion King in September 2009.  She performed on Broadway until April 2010, when she was diagnosed.