Shannon Tavarez Legacy Lives on Through Bone Marrow Donation Registry

Last year, thousands of people were touched by the story of eleven-year-old Shannon Tavarez. The young Queens native was living her dream, performing the role of Young Nala in Broadway's The Lion King, when she was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2010 and told she needed a bone marrow transplant. While Shannon's story moved thousands of people to register as bone marrow donors, her match was never found. Sadly on November 1, 2010 Shannon passed away.

But Shannon's legacy lives on and already 8 donors who registered in Shannon's honor have been contacted as potential matches to patients. DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow donor center, and R.A.R.E Media group are organizing a donor drive at the Harlem School of the Arts on January 16, 2011, just days before what would have been Shannon's twelfth birthday. "Shannon wanted to recruit people everywhere to ‘get swabbed' and help save the lives of those in need of a bone marrow transplant," Odiney Brown, Shannon's' mother said. "In her memory, our family and friends will work tirelessly to carry out her wish. It is our hope that Shannon's legacy will continue to inspire other brave children battling leukemia."

We need you! Every day thousands of patients search the Be The Match Registry in hope for a bone marrow donor match. Only 4 out of 10 patients are lucky enough to receive a transplant. "I lost my mother to leukemia when I was 14," stated Katharina Harf, Co-founder, DKMS Americas, "and I have made it my mission to recruit more donors so that other families don't have to go through the pain we did. We need your help so we can save more lives."

To register as a bone marrow donor, please visit Harlem School of the Arts 645 St. Nicholas Ave., New York, NY on Sunday, January 16, 2011 from 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM.

Registering to become a bone marrow donor is more than a cheek swab; it is a commitment to help save a life. You must be between 18 and 55 and in good general health. When you register with DKMS, you will also be listed on the Be The Match Registry® (operated by the NMDP) and can be found as a donor match for any patient in need of a bone marrow transplant.

The cost to DKMS for registering a new potential bone marrow donor is $65. DKMS does not receive government funding and is therefore dependant on donations from the general public. Every dollar counts!

The DKMS mission is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. More than 23,000 DKMS donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow. DKMS is the largest bone marrow donor center in the world with over 2.5 million registered donors. DKMS Americas is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization.

For more information about DKMS and to learn more about registering as a bone marrow donor, please visit www.getswabbed.org

Photo credit: Robert Diamond