Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million to Support Coronavirus Research at Vanderbilt

The number of COVID-19 cases has recently reached more than a million people around the world, according to The New York Times. To help with the process to find a cure, country superstar Dolly Parton is donating a million dollars towards coronavirus research.

“My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure,” Parton wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to do the same.”

This week, Parton took to Instagram to personally thank the first responders, servicemen and servicewomen, and health care professionals around the world. “We just want you to know that we are praying for you and appreciate you more than you can imagine,” she says in the video.

Parton is also hoping to provide a source of comfort and reassurance to kids and families while they are quarantining at home by reading bedtime stories online every week in her “Goodnight With Dolly Video” series. “This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, but the timing never felt quite right,” Parton said in a statement. “I think it is pretty clear that now is the time to share a story and to share some love.” You can catch the upcoming episodes here.