Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million for Research of Infectious Diseases in Children

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Nashville, Tennessee, is receiving a $1 million donation from country music icon Dolly Parton to further research on infectious diseases in children.

“I love all children,” Parton told the VUMC Reporter. “No child should ever have to suffer, and I’m willing to do my part to try and keep as many of them as I can as healthy and safe as possible.”

The Reporter noted that funds would go to the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, which is presently conducting a variety of research:

Ongoing research in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases includes understanding how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing resistance to antibiotics, preventing and treating infections, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer and research to define the impact of childhood infections throughout the world.

This is not Parton’s first time donating to the medical center. In April 2020, she gifted VUMC $1 million for research towards a Chinese coronavirus cure, Breitbart News reported. 

“My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure,” Parton said at the time. 

Jeff Balser, MD, Ph.D., the dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the president of CEO of VUMC, told the Reporter that Parton’s 2020 donation “has already saved countless lives.”

“This new gift will bolster our defenses against future threats to the safety of this region and society as a whole,” he continued. “It speaks volumes about her passion for people, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”

The “9 to 5” singer — whose niece is a leukemia survivor treated at Monroe Carrel Jr. Children’s Hospital — previously contributed an unspecified amount to the Vanderbilt Pediatric Cancer Program. 

Parton’s philanthropy has been well documented. Last October, the ten-time Grammy Award winner and her business “raised $700,000 to help” flood victims in central Tennessee, Breitbart News reported.