Dolly Parton humbly referred to her $1 million donation to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center as a “small part” in the development of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. During an interview with U.K.’s Absolute Radio on Tuesday, the legendary singer and songwriter told the music station that though she had previously donated to the hospital for different causes such as cancer research, she wanted to lend her support to another critical issue.
“When the pandemic came out I just felt kind of led to do something because I knew something bad was on the rise and I just wanted to kind of help with that,” Parton explained. She added, “Mine was a small part, of course. I probably get a lot more credit than I deserve. I was happy to be a part of that and to be able to try to stop something in its tracks that’s really become just such a monster for all of us.”
She called the kind act an example of her following her heart. The New England Journal of Medicine lists Parton as one of the sponsors of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Parton announced her contribution on her Instagram page last year. “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 toward research of the coronavirus for a cure,” she wrote at the time.
After confirming she made a donation, she encouraged others to do the same. She later posted a photo of her receiving the vaccine in March along with a video of her singing a rendition of her hit song “Jolene” with new lyrics that encouraged the public to get the vaccine. She ended the video cheering, “I did it!”
This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
