Stella Parton has revealed her late sister Dolly wanted doctors to use her body for experimental cancer treatments to help future patients.
Stella, 77, shared the detail in a lengthy Facebook tribute posted Thursday, two days after the country music legend died at age 80. The “I Want To Hold You In My Dreams Tonight” singer described Dolly as “one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known.”
“What the world saw is exactly who she was, so much so, she told me recently that if there was no hope for her, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others in the future,” Stella wrote on Facebook.
“My sister was always thinking of others and if you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up and give more of your time and resources as she continued to do to the very end,” she added in the post.
Stella concluded her tribute by saying Dolly “left the world a better place by being in it.”
The family revealed in a statement that Dolly had secretly battled cancer before her death, though her team did not disclose the specific type. The “Jolene” singer was also reportedly hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville with “kidney and autoimmune issues” five days before she died.
Dolly will be laid to rest in “a small, private service for immediate family” in Nashville, Tennessee.
Harry Styles, 32, honored Dolly during night one of his residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The former One Direction singer addressed the sold-out crowd between songs.
“I wanna say a proper ‘thank you’ to all the musicians over the years that’ve inspired me,” Styles said from the stage.
“Dolly, we love you, thank you so much,” he added, before playing her most famous song, “I Will Always Love You,” as the audience sang along and waved illuminated phones in the air.
In the viral moment that has circulated widely since news of her death broke, Dolly’s decades-long career as a singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist has been celebrated across social media and at live events worldwide. The Dollywood Theme Park co-founder released her debut album in 1967 and went on to sell more than 100 million records, earning numerous Grammy Awards and Country Music Association honors. Her Imagination Library literacy program has distributed more than 200 million books to children since its founding in 1995.
Styles continues his Madison Square Garden residency with additional scheduled performances in New York City.