Dolly Parton Performs a Song for a Fan With Stage Four Cancer, Fulfills His Desire to See Her
Utah resident LeGrand "LG" Gold, diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer, has been striving to fulfill his poignant bucket list since facing the grim reality of his illness. Among his ten dying wishes, scrawled on a napkin, was the desire to meet the iconic country singer Dolly Parton.
Gold, engaged in a battle with cancer since 2021, received devastating news during a December doctor's visit when scans revealed the cancer's progression beyond his liver. Dishearteningly, the medical team declared that chemotherapy and radiation were no longer effective, urging him to spend his remaining time with family.
With a fervent wish to meet Parton ranking seventh on his "LG's List of Living," Gold's story reached the beloved country legend. In an exceptional act of generosity, Parton granted his wish, extending a personal phone call just before Christmas. Parton, aware of Gold's longtime fandom, expressed her gratitude during the call. "I've heard you've been a fan of mine for many years. And I just wanted to thank you for that," she said. Gold, beaming with joy, replied, "It's been my honor too."
Gold's wife, Alice, revealed that alongside meeting Parton, the bucket list included an RV trip to the Grand Canyon with their children, experiencing March Madness, attending a Natalie Merchant concert, and witnessing "TNT Inside the NBA." Parton, reflecting on their brief encounter, conveyed, "I always want to make people happy with my music and with the things I do and the things I say, and I'm just happy to know that I've touched your life in some way. So thank you for honoring me with that."
After LeGrand “LG” Gold was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer, the Utah man put together a list of things he hoped to do in the time he had left. https://t.co/6XINlyEchx
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 1, 2024
In the face of Gold's challenging health journey, Parton expressed her gratitude for sharing a part of their lives together. "I'm just happy that we get to kind of have our journey together in this lifetime," she added. LG Gold's journey, marked by the realization of his wish to meet Parton, resonated deeply not just due to the kindness of the country legend but also because of the remarkable resilience and positivity displayed by Gold and his family amid profound adversity.
Meanwhile on the other hand, boasting a net worth of $650 million, the artist has made her name in philanthropy as well through initiatives like Imagination Library. Her dedication to young minds is relentless. Launched in 1995 under the Dollywood Foundation, the Imagination Library reflects Parton's unwavering dedication to enhancing education. The program delivers free books to enrolled children monthly for their first five years of life, resulting in over 226 million books donated to children in five countries as of 2023, with a staggering cost exceeding $500 million.
She shared, "This actually started because my father could not read and write, and I saw how crippling that could be, 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."
