Is there anything that Dolly Parton cannot do? After all, she’s not only an iconic country superstar, she’s also an author, philanthropist, theme park owner, producer, activist – the list goes on and on! Now, Parton has also helped fund the research and production of Moderna’s promising new coronavirus vaccine!
Funding The Vaccines
In April of this year, when the coronavirus really started to ramp up, singer Dolly Parton knew she needed to do something about it. So, she donated $1 million to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who had started researching COVID-19. At the time, she figured the money would go to help scientists’ understand of the virus. However, Paton had no idea it would ultimately help with the production of the new Moderna vaccine. Surprisingly, the country star had no idea until her name appeared on the sponsor list. No one even called to let her know that she’d be on the list!
Of course, Parton beamed with pride and joy when she found out she had helped the world once again. “Praise the lord!” she exclaimed in an Instagram video. “I’m just very grateful that this is happening, and if I had anything to do with it, that’s great.” The singer’s smile only continued to widen as she discussed the joy of knowing she’s helped those on the front lines. “I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world,” Parton continued. “I’m a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that’s going to help us through this crazy pandemic.”
Incoming Help
When Parton donated $1 million to the research in spring, there were only 200,000 cases of COVID-19 in the United States. Unfortunately, the situation changed for the worst since then. The world needs the vaccine more than ever now. Recently, America’s cases have raised to over 11.3 million in total, with over 250,000 people dead from the virus. Meanwhile, thanks in part to Parton’s funding, Moderna now states that they have one of the most effective vaccines currently in development, at 94.5% effective. The center’s immunologist, the famous Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that the first wave of vaccinations would start at the end of December. According to Fauci, those most in danger of COVID-19, including medical workers, the elderly, and those with severe medical conditions, will receive the vaccine first.
Believe it or not, Parton’s huge donation helped with much more than just the Modern vaccine. Thanks to her million dollars, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center can also continue studying convalescent plasma. For those who do not know, doctors currently use convalescent plasma to help those recovering from a coronavirus battle.
Most importantly, Parton also asks others to donate to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, if they can. The research center will need continued support in order to keep fighting the coronavirus. If you are interested in donating, head over to the Vanderbilt’s main website!
Sources: CNN, GoodNewsNetwork