Young 'Lion King' thespian getting crucial surgery

[August 14, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- An 11-year-old girl who played young Nala in "The Lion King" on Broadway will get a potentially lifesaving procedure.

Shannon Tavarez has leukemia and will get an umbilical-cord blood transplant on Tuesday. It's used as an alternative to treat the disease when a perfect bone marrow match can't be found.

Her mother, Odiney Brown, says she's praying it will work.

The actress was forced to quit the show in April. Cast members held a bone marrow donor registration drive for her last month.

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Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com

[Associated Press]

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