Dolly Parton’s niece Danielle shares what made her suspect her aunt was battling cancer
BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE: Dolly Parton’s niece Danielle Parton has shared how she began to suspect that something was wrong with her aunt. Danielle was dealing with her own cancer diagnosis when she noticed Dolly’s emotional reaction to the news.
At the time, she didn't know what the country music legend was going through. Looking back, Danielle believes that moment helped her understand just how much Dolly had been keeping to herself while dealing with her health.
Danielle Parton recalls aunt Dolly’s reaction to her cancer diagnosis
During an interview with Extra, Danielle shared, “I am going through a little bit of a cancer battle myself right now. I’m okay, stage zero, caught it early, getting it done. But she took it really heavy, and that’s how I figured out.”
“Look, you gotta get it together, it ain’t that deep,” Danielle remembered telling her aunt. “I just wanted you to know because you knew I was having a biopsy,” she added. Danielle said Dolly’s reaction to her diagnosis made her wonder if her aunt was facing a similar health battle. While she knew the singer was sick, she had no idea what was happening or how much she was dealing with privately.
“I didn’t know, like anybody else, what she was dealing with. I knew she was sick,” Danielle said. Looking back, she felt that Dolly had tried to keep her own struggles hidden because she did not want her loved ones to worry.
Even during a difficult time in her life, the singer appeared more focused on the people around her than on sharing what she was going through.
Dolly Parton’s estate names niece Danielle as brand ambassador
The brand ambassador announcement was made on Wednesday, October 21, with Danielle taking on the role of helping preserve Dolly’s legacy. The announcement also featured a video the country legend had recorded before her death on August 25 at the age of 80.
Danielle expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “I'm so grateful to help care for a legacy that means so much not only to my family but to all of you.”
“Like so many of you, losing her has changed something for me. It made me think of the stories, values, and lessons that she left behind, and the responsibility that our family has to care for them,” she added.
Danielle acknowledged that she could never replace the country singer, joking, “I would never try to speak for Dolly, and I'm not crazy enough to try to fill her shoes. God knows I couldn't walk on them.”
Instead, she hopes to share personal memories and stories that show a different side of her aunt. “What I can do is share the woman that I knew. I can tell some of the stories of her, the stories behind the global icon,” she said.
