Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million To Pediatric Infectious Disease Research

Dolly has done it again!

Peerless philanthropist Dolly Parton quietly donated a whopping $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Nashville, Tennessee, aimed to help in the fight against serious infectious diseases like coronavirus.

The songstress is a longtime benefactor of VUMC, famously donating $1 million to their COVID-19 vaccine efforts in April 2020. Parton also donated $1 million to Vanderbilt Children's Pediatric Cancer Program in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia as a child there, in 2017.

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The medical center called Parton's most recent $1 million donation "another transformative gift."

"I love all children," Parton said in a statement. "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 University is currently working on research to prevent resistance to antibiotics, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer, and defining the impact of childhood infections throughout the world. VUMC's researchers have also conducted clinical trials aimed at reducing life-threatening symptoms associated with COVID-19 and as well as new therapies that could effectively treat and prevent the infection.

"Dolly's previous support to infectious disease research, and also our pediatric cancer program, has already saved countless lives," Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President and CEO of VUMC and Dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said in a statement. "This new gift will bolster our defenses against future threats to the safety of this region and society as a whole. It speaks volumes about her passion for people, and we couldn't be more thankful."

Thank you, Dolly!