Stella Parton: Dolly asked doctors to try experimental drugs to help others

Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at 80 after a brief battle with cancer, had told her sister Stella Parton that she wanted doctors to try experimental drugs on her even if there was no hope, in the hope of helping others in the future. Stella Parton shared the request in an emotional tribute posted to Instagram and Facebook on Thursday, August 27.

"My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I've ever known," Stella Parton wrote. "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 Parton, who is one of Dolly's 11 siblings, described a ritual the two sisters kept for years: waking early and having coffee together over the phone every Tuesday morning. "Being little farm girls we've continued to be early risers," she wrote. "My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same, but her love, respect and goodness will remain."

Dolly Parton's death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who served as her head of security for 20 years. "Sadness lies with us, not Dolly," Seaver said in a video statement. "Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who had watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens."

The singer's husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at age 82. Parton had postponed a Las Vegas residency in September 2025, citing health challenges, and was hospitalized in Nashville late last week after dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Stella Parton encouraged fans to honor her sister's legacy through kindness. "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 wrote. "She left the world a better place by being in it, so let's follow her example."

Since the news broke, tributes have poured in from stars including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Mick Jagger. Miley Cyrus, Parton's goddaughter, wrote on Instagram: "What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel [the loss], write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have."

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Dolly Parton Estate for comment on Stella Parton's tribute. According to kdhlradio.com, Parton will be laid to rest in a small, private ceremony on an unknown date.