Long Island City, NY, July 13, 2010 - 11 years old Shannon Tavares was diagnosed on April with acute myeloid leukemia and is currently in search for a bone marrow donor.  The young actress was playing the role of young Nala on Lion King's Broadway play for only six months when the heart-breaking news was received.  She is currently staying at the Schneider's Children Hospital in Long Island and undergoing chemotherapy treatment, but Shannon's best hope is a bone marrow transplant.

Being the only child of an African America mother and a Hispanic father, Shannon is now fighting against time to find a compatible marrow donor.  She is looking for her genetic twin, which is always easier to find within someone's own heritage.  Due to her being a part of an ethnicity minority on the Be The Match Registry, the largest marrow donor registry in the world, it is imperative that African Americans and Hispanics step up and register as possible donors. It is an easy process, which would take less than ten minutes and can be completed with a simple cheek swab.

The Icla da Silva Foundation has several bone marrow drives scheduled where anyone can Join the Registry to see if they would match with this talented little girl or any other patient in need. For a list of marrow drives, please visit www.icla.org

Founded 18 years ago, The Icla da Silva Foundation is the largest Recruitment Center for the Be The Match Registry.  The mission of the foundation is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors and by providing support services to children and adults with leukemia and other diseases treatable by marrow transplants. 

For more information on other ways you can help, please visit www.icla.org