An eleven-year-old girl is fighting for her life in a Long Island hospital room and she’s getting some help in that fight from two famous singers.
People.com reports that Alicia Keys and Rihanna are doing their part to get fans signed up as bone marrow donors to help leukemia patient and Broadway performer Shannon Tavarez. Shannon was acting in “The Lion King” when a throbbing in her legs led to a blood cancer diagnosis. Keys paid Tavarez a visit on Friday, July 2nd and later offered a sobering update on the Broadway child star. The Grammy winner said, quote, “For her, the sky is the limit, but now she’s fighting for her life.” Rihanna, who is a spokesperson for DKMS Americas, is urging fans to become bone marrow donors. She says, quote, [Tavarez] 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.”
Rihanna is no stranger to helping kids with cancer. The singer became close to a young leukemia patient named Jasmina, who passed away in January. Rihanna recorded a DKMS public service announcement in April in partnership with the Pepsi Refresh Project and her own Believe Foundation. She and Keys want fans to check in with either DKMS or The National Marrow Donor Program. Visit DKMSAmericas.org or Marrow.org to help out.
