‘I get a lot more credit than I deserve’: Dolly Parton addresses the worldwide praise she’s received for helping to fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine with her $1million donation
- Dolly Parton responded to praise she’s received for helping to fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in a radio interview on Monday
- The country music icon, 75, said she ‘probably gets a lot more credit’ than she deserves while appearing on Britain’s Absolute Radio Country
- Parton contributed $1million USD (£724K) to Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee for coronavirus research in April last year
Dolly Parton has addressed the praise she’s received for helping to fund Moderna’s much-heralded COVID-19 vaccine with her $1million USD (£724K) hospital donation.
Appearing on Absolute Radio Country on Monday, the country music icon, 75, said that she ‘probably gets a lot more credit’ than she deserves.
The musician contributed the funds to Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee for coronavirus research in April last year, after the hospital was ‘good to her and her family through the years’.
‘I probably get a lot more credit than I deserve’: Dolly Parton, 75, addressed the worldwide praise she’s received for helping to fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine with her $1million USD (£724K) donation, on Britain’s Absolute Radio Country on Monday. Pictured in June
Parton revealed how she felt empowered to help when the virus first made news.
‘When the pandemic came out, I just felt led to do something because I knew something bad was on the rise and I just kind of wanted to help with that, so I donated to help with that,’ she said on radio.
Playing down her role in contributing much-needed funds, the Jolene artist said: ‘So, mine was a small part of course, but I probably get a lot more credit than I deserve.
‘But I was happy to be part of that, and to be able to try stop something in its tracks that’s really become such a monster for all of us.’
The Jolene artist, who has received two doses, said: ‘So, mine was a small part of course, but I probably get a lot more credit than I deserve. ‘But I was happy to be part of that, and to be able to try stop something in its tracks that’s really become such a monster for all of us’
Helping to make a difference: ‘When the pandemic came out, I just felt led to do something because I knew something bad was on the rise and I just kind of wanted to help with that, so I donated to help with that,’ Parton said on radio
Parton got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in March and the second in April.
In November, US company Moderna announced its coronavirus vaccine may be 94.5% effective against the virus, and Parton was namechecked in the preliminary report.
Published in the New England Journal Of Medicine, the report stated that the work was supported by the ‘Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund (Vanderbilt University Medical Centre)’ among other groups.
But the country superstar admitted she didn’t know it was the programme she was part of when she first heard the good news.
Speaking on BBC’s The One Show at the time, Parton admitted she was ‘already at work’ and doing interviews when someone asked her on air about the vaccine.
Vaccinated: Parton got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in March and the second in April
Headlines: In November, US company Moderna announced its coronavirus vaccine may be 94.5% effective against the virus, and Parton was namechecked in the preliminary report
She said: ‘I’m so excited about the news. I heard that yesterday and I didn’t realise that was part of the programme that I was part of. So I feel very, very honoured and proud.’
Parton donated $1million USD (£724,475) to the programme at Vanderbilt Hospital in April last year, which they then called the ‘Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund’.
The singer said: ‘When the pandemic started many months ago I just kind of felt led to put some money into a programme at Vanderbilt Hospital, it’s a wonderful hospital here.
‘It’s been good to me and my family through the years so I donated $1million and they called it the Dolly Parton Covid fund.
‘So out of that they actually got more money and it just started developing and they were developing all these wonderful things.
Good to her: The country music icon contributed $1million USD ((£724,475) to Vanderbilt Hospital Nashville, Tennessee which she said has been ‘good to her and her family through the years’
‘So I just found out like I said today actually that it was for real that was part of the programme that we had started.
‘I’m sure many, many millions of dollars by many people went into that but I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that hopefully will grow into something great and help to heal this world.’
Parton revealed her generous donation in a tweet in April last year. She said: ‘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.
‘I am making a donation of $1million dollars to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations.’
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed at the time that Britain would get five million doses of the Moderna vaccine starting in March 2021.
Not aware: Dolly told Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas of BBC’s The One Show (pictured) in November last year that she didn’t know it was the programme she was part of, when she first heard the news
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