The country music legend Dolly Parton has announced that a children’s hospital will be named after her.
Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital
The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital has announced on Instagram that it will be renamed as the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
“Inspired by Dolly’s commitment to children, this transformation represents more than a name change, it’s a promise,” the statement read. “A promise to bring hope, healing and world-class care to patients and families across our region.”
“Together, we’re building a future where every child has the chance to grow, thrive and feel the comfort of compassionate care,” the hospital added. “The same dedicated team. The same trusted care. Now carrying a name that reflects the heart of our mission.”
Parton ‘Pouring A Fortune’ Into This
Parton, 80, has reportedly been taking an active role in ensuring that the children’s hospital is a top notch facility.
“She’s pouring a fortune into upgrading the place to make it worthy of having her name,” said one insider.
The source went on to say that spending time with the children at the hospital has brought Parton “a lot of solace” in the wake of the death of husband Carl Dean last March. They had been married for 59 years at the time of his passing.
“It makes her feel useful and she says it’s impossible to feel sorry for herself when she’s there,” the insider explained.
Parton herself has also been dealing with some health challenges of her own. Back in September, she announced that she needed to postpone her upcoming Las Vegas concerts by nearly a year in order to undergo a few medical procedures.
“Dolly is a very proactive person. She may be on doctor’s orders to take a break from performing, but she says that doesn’t mean she can’t still do something valuable with her time,” the source stated. “And in her view, nothing could be more valuable than helping sick kids.”
The insider added that Parton helps out at the children’s hospital far more than people realize.
“She puts on scrubs and the mask and goes incognito to help hold the babies in the NICU or play with the little ones in the pediatric care ward,” the source concluded. “And she’s doing it all with almost no fanfare.”
Parton’s Philanthropy
Aside from being a country music icon, Parton has long been known for her philanthropic efforts. In 1995, Parton launched her Imagination Library in the hopes of improving literacy among children. This organization allows kids under the age of 5 to enroll to have books mailed to their homes each month.
Parton was inspired to launch this organization because her father never learned to read.
“This actually started because my father could not read and write and I saw how crippling that could be,” Parton previously said. “My dad was a very smart man. And I often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write. So that is the inspiration.”
The Imagination Library now operates all over the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia. It gifts more than 3 million books every month. As of 2025, the Imagination Library had mailed more than 270 million in total.
This all serves as a reminder as to why Parton is one of the most beloved celebrities of all time. In the end, there is nobody out there quite like her.
God bless you, Dolly Parton!