Rihanna asks fans to donate marrow

Recording artist and songwriter Rihanna is spreading the word about donating bone marrow. Rihanna recently heard the story of an eleven-year-old Broadway actress Shannon Tavarez. The girl was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia last April. Rihanna is determined to help the young girl and wants her fans to help out too.

"When I listened to Shannon's voice, I got really sad. Her voice is so beautiful. She should be performing on Broadway, but she is confined to her bed, fighting for her life. Shannon needs to find a bone marrow donor to survive. I urge all my fans to register with DKMS,” said Rihanna.

DKMS has registered almost 2,500 people who were inspired by Shannon's story. However,Shannon’s chances of finding a match are slim because her mother is African American and her father is Dominican and minorities are underrepresented in the national registry. Therefore, many more people need to register. If you are between the ages of 18 and 55, help Shannon and other patients like her. You can register to become a bone marrow donor. Also, check out our video coverage to learn more about Shannon.