50 Cent Chips In to Fight Leukemia

The rapper releases a PSA and registers as a bone marrow donor to bring awareness to the illness

By Marc Malkin, Brett Malec Aug 06, 2010 10:56 PMTags

50 Cent is doing his part in the fight against leukemia.

He recently filmed a PSA urging fans to become potential bone marrow donors. The rapper turned actor was inspired to get involved by a young Broadway actress...

50 registered with DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow center, after learning about Shannon Tavarez, an 11-year-old girl appearing in The Lion King who was diagnosed with leukemia in April and is currently waiting for a bone marrow donor.

"My son is just a couple years older than Shannon and I can't imagine if his life was needlessly cut short when there is someone out there that could save him," 50 Cent said in a statement. "A complete stranger is the only person who can give Shannon a fighting chance to live."

In the PSA, 50 and some of his friends get cheek swabs as part of the registration process with DKMS. "Look," he says into the camera, "I just did it and you could do it, too."

For more information about DKMS, click here.

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