When the world needed her, Dolly Parton was known to appear — even in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic.
The queen of country left millions mourning after her death on Aug. 25 at the age of 80. Beyond the big hair and chart-topping hits, Parton was known as a prolific philanthropist who poured millions into causes ranging from childhood literacy and leukemia to disaster relief and the preservation of bald eagles.
One of Parton's most notable contributions to medicine was her funding and staunch support of the COVID-19 vaccine, which she publicly pledged to help fund as early as April 2020.
While the scientific and medical communities raced to develop technology to fight the novel virus that was killing thousands, Parton was loud and proud, encouraging the public to trust the process — even during a time when political messaging, misinformation and uncertainty left many unsure where to turn and who to trust.
The mRNA vaccine technology she helped fund has since shown promise in treating and preventing diseases beyond COVID-19, including cancer.

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