Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million to Hospital to Honor Niece's Battle with Leukemia
Entertainment icon Dolly Parton has always had a heart for children. Though she never had any biological children, Parton has been like a mom to kids around the world, showering them with love and affection throughout her life.
Parton’s proudest moments have much more to do with philanthropy rather than her stardom on stage. Parton is known for generously giving to children and families in need, believing that since she has been given much, she is honored to give back.
On May 17, Parton visited Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a place with special meaning to the singer and her family.
The hospital dedicated its second-floor butterfly garden to Hannah Dennison, Parton’s niece who fought childhood cancer.
Dennison was diagnosed with leukemia as a child, and Parton became well acquainted with the compassionate hospital staff responsible for Dennison’s treatment.
After five difficult years of uncertainty, Dennison emerged healthy, and is now 30 years old.
As a way to acknowledge and thank Vanderbilt for providing such excellent care for Dennison, Parton made a surprise $1 million dollar donation to the children’s hospital in Oct. 2017. Her pledge coincided with the release of her new children’s album, “I Believe in You.”
As a way to thank Parton for her generosity, the hospital deemed its butterfly garden the Hannah Dennison Butterfly Garden. Naturally, Parton was there to celebrate.
Surrounded by doctors, nurses, families, and patients, Parton shared her memories of her niece’s care staff so many years ago.
“They took such good care of her,” Parton recalled.
Looking out over the sea of faces, Parton related to the families fighting childhood cancer together.
“And just looking at the little faces of the kids going through this and the parents who suffer so much as well — it’s just touching and moving,” Parton said.
Parton summed up how she felt about the importance of the strong helping the weak.
“If you’re in a position where you can do something, you should do something,” she said.
Before Parton left, she hinted that she planned to come back and visit.
“Now that we have Hannah’s butterfly garden, we may come up and do little shows now and then and bring some joy to the kids,” Parton said, grinning.
“Or just come up and say, ‘Hey, I got my guitar, want to sing some songs?'” she mused. “Bring a few smiles to the kids’ faces.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
