Sister of rapper Nelly succumbs to leukemia

SISTER OF RAPPER NELLY SUCCUMBS TO LEUKEMIA: Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly and his sister, Jacqueline "Jackie" Donahue, attend a gala two years ago in their hometown St. Louis. Donahue, 31, recently died after a lengthy battle with leukemia in St. Louis. Donahue. who once worked as her brother's stylist, was diagnosed in 2001. The cancer was in reemission for nearly two years before she suffered a relapse, prompting Nelly to arrange a number of bone marrow drives. In 2003 Nelly and Donahue formed Jes Us 4 Jackie, a nationwide marrow donor drive recruitment campaign, which was conducted through Nelly's nonprofit 4Sho4Kids Foundation. A donor drive in St. Louis made history as the most successful Black bone marrow registry drive, drawing more than 1,200 people (JET, Sept. 13, 2004). Drives were held in several other cities, enlisting hundreds for the National Donor Registry: however, a match was never found for Donahue. Among the survivors are her two children, Shaun and Sidney. At JET press time, funeral arrangements were pending.

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