“I love children,” the 76-year-old said in a statement from Vanderbilt. “No child should ever have to suffer and I want to do my part to help as many of them as possible be as healthy as possible.” The money will go towards ongoing research at the institution into, among other things, the prevention and treatment of infections in cancer patients, antibiotic resistance and the way in which viruses and bacteria lead to diseases.
dr. Jeff Balser, Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said: “Dolly’s past support for viral disease research, as well as our childhood cancer program, has already saved countless lives. This new gift will empower us against future security threats of this region and society as a whole. It says so much about her passion for people, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
In April 2020, Parton donated one million to the covid research that Vanderbilt University had set up in collaboration with pharmaceutical company Moderna. That research eventually led to the company’s vaccination.