Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old who played Young Nala in Broadway’s “Lion King,” has died at age 11 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, Broadway World is reporting. The actress played Young Nala from September 2009 until April, when she began feeling pain in her lower back and legs. Soon, the emerging star was diagnosed and the search for a donor began.

The little girl with the big voice fought a six-month battle against leukemia, but lost after getting a cord-blood transplant in August that doctors hoped would save her life, according to BroadwayWorld.com.

“It’s a great feeling, performing for people and being Young Nala, because she’s tough and I feel like that’s who I am through this whole experience,” Shannon told ABC News last summer.

“She’s just a great kid,” said Joel Karie, a Broadway cast member, at the time of her diagnosis.

Her story drew the attention of numerous celebrities, including Alicia Keys and Rihanna, who led campaigns to find a bone-marrow match for Tavarez.More than 8,000 people from around the country, including the rapper 50 Cent, volunteered to be bone marrow donors in her name, but no match ever was found.

The star also underwent chemotherapy last summer.

Shannon was 5 years old when her mother realized she could sing.

“She sang an Alicia Keys song, ‘I Keep on Falling,’ and when she sang it, it was just unbelievable!” said her mother, Odiney Brown, a contract analyst for the city of New York.

In ‘The Lion King,’ Young Nala and Young Simba sing the bouncy song ‘I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.’

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