Doctors at Cohen Children's Medical Center performed a cord-blood transplant on Shannon Tavarez using blood from an umbilical cord, Fox 5 reported.
The transplant could save the former "Lion King" actress.
Related: Cord Blood Reverses Cerebral Palsy in Colorado Girl
Her big dreams to be on Broadway came true she played young Nayla in the musical. But seven months into stardom, Shannon started feeling pain in her back and legs. Doctors diagnosed leukemia.
After searching for months to find a bone marrow match, doctors turned to cord blood instead. It is not a perfect situation, but it could work, they said.
Click here to read more on this story from Fox 5 and to see a video on Shannon.
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