The Lion King hosted a Bone Marrow Drive...for young castmate!

The cast of Disney’s THE LION KING  hosted a bone marrow donor drive today August 3, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Mandalay Bay Theatre lobby. What was involved was getting a simple cheek swab and taking the first step to saving lives.

Recently diagnosed with Acute Leukemia, 11-year-old Shannon Tavarez, who plays Young Nala in Broadway’s THE LION KING, is fighting for her life. A bone marrow transplant from a stranger may be her only chance at survival. DKMS, the largest bone marrow donor center in the world, has joined the effort to raise awareness and help Shannon in her battle against cancer.

Shannon’s mother is African-American and her father is Dominican. Only eight percent of the seven-million registered donors are African-American, which means that only 17 percent of African Americans in need of a transplant will actually receive one.

ABOUT DKMS

The DKMS mission is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. More than 20,000 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 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