Over the years, Dolly Parton invested in a lot of endeavours and believed in giving back to the community. Earlier this year, she donated a generous amount to a children’s hospital in Knoxville, which was renamed the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital in February 2026, only a few months before her passing.In a recent announcement, the children’s hospital revealed plans to hold a ‘9 to 5’ party to honour Dolly Parton’s commitment to charitable causes and her significant impact on countless individuals. At the centre of the celebration was 9-year-old Hattie Halter, a longtime fan of Parton and a patient at the hospital.
Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital to honour her legacy with a party
The hospital revealed that they would hold a ‘9 to 5’ theme party to honour Parton’s legacy, and Halter, who was diagnosed with cancer when she was only nine months old, also attended the celebration. While talking to PEOPLE, her mother, Mellisa Halter, shared how her entire family will be there.She added, “I and her dad, her two brothers, and Hattie, we’re all going to be there bright and early. Being a part of anything that has to do with Dolly where she gets to talk to people about her, she’s just so excited.” She also recalled the time when her daughter had been diagnosed with leukemia and how harrowing the entire experience was for their family.She recalled, “It’s miserable and scary. You basically have to start treating the cancer as soon as possible so you really don’t have any time to process or think it through. It’s just a very scary thing to go from hoping they crawl and talk soon to, “Oh my gosh, is this going to kill my kid?” It’s something the little cute ‘how to prepare to be a mom’ books don’t necessarily warn you about.”
Hattie Halter is a big fan of Dolly Parton
Her mother also revealed that she has been a big fan of Parton and her music for years now, adding, “She loves her music, just her accent and the way she sings. And the fact that we have Dollywood here and she sees her everywhere in Tennessee, she just likes to dance and shimmy to her music.”Melissa further added, “I honestly feel like the way she carried herself—she exuded that kind of sunshine and happiness and wanting to help others—is what stuck out too, and Hattie just was attracted to that.”Days after the singer’s passing, the hospital shared a video of their patients and their parents sharing their experiences at the hospital and how they were able to overcome their diseases while remembering Parton. The caption under the post read, “Our patients and families express our feelings best. Dolly’s love and compassion will continue as we carry her light forward for generations to come. Thank you, Dolly.”
About Dolly Parton
The country singer left for her heavenly abode on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer. The news of her passing was shared by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in a video that was circulated on all of her social media accounts. The singer had been admitted to a cancer facility a few days before her passing. She had also chosen not to share her diagnosis with the world until after her demise.
