Dolly Parton has made a “transformational” donation to a children’s hospital.
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Earlier this year, the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital became the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital following the country star making a considerable monetary contribution.
Now, the hospital’s president and CEO, Matt Schaefer, has spoken about the funding. “What I can tell you is that she has made a generational and transformational commitment to Children’s and its mission,” he said in an interview with the Chief Healthcare Executive.
“That commitment is something that goes beyond our wildest expectations, that is beyond generous, and will be a lifeline for this mission for now and for years to come,” he added. “And we’re excited about and humbled by her willingness to do so.”
Schaefer did not specify the amount of Parton’s donation, but said that the contribution “positions this organisation and the community around us in a really enviable and exciting place.”
The funding will be divided across multiple focus points to benefit the children receiving treatment and the physicians providing those services.
In other news, last month Parton made her first public appearance of 2026 and shared a health update with fans, after her sister inadvertently raised rumours of her ill health last October.
Following her sister’s statement, Parton reassured fans and shared she had been facing several “health challenges” which forced her to cancel her Las Vegas residency.
“I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” she added, noting the loss of her husband Carl Dean, who she was married to for 58 years before his death last March.
“I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, all is good. It didn’t slow me down.”
Following his passing, the country star previously said that she had put working on new songs “on hold” to cope with the loss but she has since been busy.
She continued: “I’ve just been doing a lot of writing, a lot of thinking, a lot of praying and a lot of getting ready for a lot of new stuff coming up for the rest of this whole year. So, be ready for me. I ain’t done, I ain’t near done.”
In the weeks following Dean’s death, Parton said that she was “doing better than I thought I would”, and then released the poignant single ‘If You Hadn’t Been There’ in his honour – describing the significance he had in her life and his role in helping her become the person she is today.
She has since marked her 80th birthday by sharing a new version of 1977’s ‘Light Of A Clear Blue Morning’ in January, featuring Queen Latifah, Reba McEntire, Lainey Wilson and her goddaughter Miley Cyrus to honour the song’s 50th anniversary.
U2 frontman Bono also surprised her by sending a bagpiper to play for her on her 80th birthday, and Parton featured in a pre-recorded video in honour of Ozzy Osbourne‘s Liftetime Achievement Award at the BRIT Awards last month.
