WCHBNewsDetroit - WCHB 1200 » Leukemia

Broadway’s Lion King Actress, Shannon Tavarez Dies

Angelo Henderson — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:00:19 +0000

It’s always sad to hear about the death of a young child. Especially when a young one is suffering from a condition and helpless with something like leukemia. According to Broadway World, Lion King star Shannon Tavarez died at the age of 11 of acute myeloid leukemia. The young starlet appeared on the hit Broadway play, “The Lion King” as young Nala from September 2009 until April. During that time, she began to experience pain in her lower back and legs. Once she was diagnosed with leukemia, a search for a bone marrow donor began. Several celebrities such as Alicia Keys, 50 Cent, Wendy Williams and Rihanna led campaigns in support finding a match for Shannon and the importance of donating bone marrow.

Unfortunately, a donor was not found but an alternative option of performing an umbilical cord blood treatment was performed on Shannon in August. She also went through extensive chemotherapy and stayed at a hospital in New York City.

Shannon Tavarez began singing at the age of 3 and attended the Harlem School of the Arts for vocal and piano.

Her campaign brought a national awareness about bone marrow donors and hopefully more people will be exposed to this mission to help others and donate. If you are interested knowing more about this and being a donor click here National Marrow Donor Program

Our condolences go out to Shannon’s family.

Shannon Tavarez performs

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11-Year-Old “Lion King” Actress With Leukemia Gets Blood Transplant

Mildred Gaddis — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:46:41 +0000

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. (AP) – An 11-year-old girl with leukemia who played young Nala in “The Lion King” on Broadway has undergone a potentially lifesaving procedure in New York.

Shannon Tavarez received an umbilical-cord blood transplant Tuesday at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, on Long Island.

The procedure was performed as an alternative to a bone marrow transplant. Her doctor said they were unable to find a perfect bone marrow match for Shannon.

A family friend says Shannon will remain in the hospital under observation while physicians ensure that her body does not reject the blood transplant.

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

50 Cent Registers As Marrow Donor For 11-Year-Old Lion King Star

Northville Twp. teen with leukemia starts nonprofit

Lakisha "N9NE" Thomas — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:53:17 +0000

Christoph Bartschat is 13, plays piano and loves Legos.

Leukemia is part of his story, too, but Christoph has penned his own narrative.

The Northville Township boy was diagnosed in 2007 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease affecting his white blood cells. But after going to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit for treatment and seeing what younger children had to deal with, Christoph moved beyond his personal battle.

“It made a big impact on me,” Christoph said.

He started a lemonade stand in July 2007 in front of his house and raised more than $200 to buy DVD players for the hospital’s oncology clinic.

With the help of his parents, the eighth-grader at Meads Mill Middle School started the nonprofit charity Christoph’s ALL Stars and has raised more than $81,000 to comfort patients and to aid research into childhood cancer.

Among the beneficiaries of those fund-raising efforts was Children’s Hospital of Michigan, which received more than $30,000 to help with cancer research, renovation of the hospital’s hematology/oncology clinic and in-kind donations of books and DVDs for cancer patients.

“I just want people to know that it’s a need, and everything helps,” Christoph said of his charitable work.

Christoph is one of 75 semifinalists in the U.S. and Canada for a Huggable Heroes Award from Build-A-Bear Workshop. If he is one of 10 winners to be announced in June, Christoph would receive a $7,500 educational scholarship, $2,500 to donate to a charity of his choice and a trip to Build-A-Bear’s headquarters in St. Louis.

Christoph’s cancer is considered manageable, but involves a chemotherapy regimen that is expected to span more than three years, his mother, Anita Bartschat, said.

“You’re so out of control when you find out your kid has cancer. You want to take on that pain yourself,” Bartschat said. Her three younger children were initially jealous of the time she had to spend with Christoph after he was diagnosed, she said.

“When Christoph’s hair fell out, that’s when it became real to them,” she said.

Source:freep.com /ERIC D. LAWRENCE

NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Has Cancer

Angelo Henderson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:31:04 +0000

By Broderick Turner – Los Angeles Times – November 10, 2009

NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a rare form of leukemia, but the Lakers legend says his long-term prognosis is very good.

Abdul-Jabbar, 62, revealed during an interview Monday that he has Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.

The disease was diagnosed in December. But Abdul-Jabbar said his condition can be managed by taking oral medication daily, seeing his specialist every other month and getting his blood analyzed regularly. He said he expects to lead a healthy life.

Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged he was scared after visiting his doctor and learning of the diagnosis.

“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.”

Medical studies have shown that many patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who are treated can control the disease without its progressing to a move advanced stage.

Dr. Gary Schiller, with the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, said treatment for this type of leukemia has “dramatically improved” in the last decade thanks to new drugs that produce “remission of really high quality in 85% of patients . . . [who] function normally with very, very few side effects.”

Schiller said that while the drugs do not cure the disease, they do control it, in much the same way high blood pressure is managed by medication.

Abdul-Jabbar said he is being treated with a medicine that specifically targets the abnormal protein that causes leukemia. “I responded well to the treatment,” he said. “I just want that to continue to keep happening.”

Abdul-Jabbar said he wasn’t feeling particularly ill last year, but was having frequent hot flashes and was sweating constantly. He said his doctor told him to get some blood tests.

“By having the hot flashes, I knew something was up. But I didn’t think that it was going to be something as serious as leukemia,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, played 20 pro seasons, 14 with the Lakers, and retired after the 1988-89 season.

He was known throughout his career as a player who took his health seriously; he was one of the first pro athletes to take up yoga.

“If it wasn’t for my health-consciousness, I would have just passed on the effects [of the leukemia symptoms] as something I could ignore,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But I felt it didn’t make sense to ignore it.”

His family has a history of cancer, Abdul-Jabbar said. A grandfather and an uncle died of colon cancer. “So I have the gene for that,” he said. “Cancer is a scary thing and you have to deal with it seriously.”

Abdul-Jabbar, a special assistant coach with the Lakers, said his condition won’t affect his work with the team; he said he plans to fly back to Los Angeles on Friday. There have been reports that he could be offered a consulting job with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Abdul-Jabbar said he spoke out about his disease because he wants to shed light on leukemia. More information about the condition is available on his Facebook page, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Patient Advocate, including links to websites providing details about the condition.

“The fact that you can manage the disease means that you can live your life,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “The fact that you have to go and get your blood analyzed and consult with your doctor might be a minor inconvenience, or you have to take your medication every day. But if you do these things, you can lead a normal live.”