Dolly Parton helped fund a Covid vaccine. This isn't the first time she's saved us | Jessa Crispin

The singer grew up in incredible poverty. She understands that money is something you do, rather than something you have

In the past month, Dolly Parton has saved us both from the pandemic and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, if you've been paying attention. Dolly Parton has been saving us her entire career.

Back in April - while the Trump administration was still downplaying the risks of the coronavirus, and churches and religious organizations were lobbying for the right to hold super-spreader events and infect their congregations, and terrible people were stockpiling masks and hand sanitizer in the hopes of profiting from mass death - the singer made a $1m donation to Vanderbilt University medical center. The donation, just one of a few such donations she's made to Vanderbilt over the years, was used to fund research for the Moderna vaccine, currently testing at 94.5% effective. (Why it is still being called the Moderna vaccine and not The Dolly I do not understand.)