Words by Smiley Team
Becoming famous for her singing and songwriting, Dolly Parton has made a name for herself as a philanthropist. Parton is donating $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, the organization announced.
This isn’t the first time she’s donated to Vanderbilt, previous donating another $1 million in April 2020 for Covid vaccine research. That gift helped Vanderbilt researchers test an array of drugs aimed at reducing the life-threatening symptoms associated with Covid-19, the center said in a news release.
This donation will have broader coverage, aiming to support research into how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing antibiotic resistance, preventing and treating infections, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer, and gauging the impact of childhood infections throughout the world, according to the news release.
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“Dolly’s previous support to infectious disease research, and also our pediatric cancer program, has already saved countless lives,” said Dr. Jeff Balser, president and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
“This new gift will bolster our defenses against future threats to the safety of this region and society as a whole.”
Dolly’s goal with this is to support children and their health.
“No child should ever have to suffer,” she said. “I’m willing to do my part to try and keep as many of them as I can as healthy and safe as possible.”
This is on top of another handful of charity projects that she supports, including her own book club called Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which has given out over 130 million books to children in need.
DONATE: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gives out books all across the world with over 2 million kids registered. Consider making a donation.
SUPPORT: Look into supporting your local libraries and universities and other places of learning. These places can have an outstretched impact across communities.
