Alicia Keys Nominates Shannon Tavarez for Time's 2010 Person of the Year
By: Jessica Lewis Nov. 30, 2010
As BroadwayWorld previously reported, 11 year old Shannon Tavarez, who received an umbilical-cord transplant in late August to combat her acute myeloid leukemia sadly passed away on November 1, 2010. The soprano from Queens recently played Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway.
Today, Time Magazine reveals that Alicia Keys has nominated the late talent as one of the publication's 100 nominees for Person of the Year for 2010.
Keys reveals of her inspiration to nominate Travers in Time:
"Shannon Tavarez died this year at age 11 after battling leukemia for years. She was an incredible singer, starring in The Lion King on Broadway. I remember Skyping with her: her spirit was so bright and brilliant! We sang for each other. Scientists believe a cure is possible. We need to support them in every way, so a candle like Shannon can keep burning on."
Serving as an alternative to a bone-marrow transplant, Shannon received the umbilical-cord blood from an anonymous donor, as doctors were unable to find a bone marrow match. Since her diagnosis last spring, she had been through extensive chemotherapy and had spent most of her days and nights in the children's ward of a hospital in New York. She has recently been in a children's ICU struggling to stabilize.
Shannon got the role of Young Nala after her first open audition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She attended Harlem School of the Arts for vocals and piano from the age of 3. Her coach was the person who encouraged her to audition. She made her Broadway debut in September of 2009, and she played four of eight shows a week until April when her symptoms began.
To further Shannon's mission and Shannon's family's devotion to recruiting donors, click here to find out about GetSwabbed.org.
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