Parent of blind child reveals what Dolly Parton did for her son: ‘I wish I could explain what a big deal that is’
Thousands of people poured out their tributes after Dolly Parton's passing, and Jessica was one of those touched by the celebrity
The entire globe is mourning Dolly Parton's passing. Whether people knew her in real life or not, Miss Parton touched several lives during her lifetime. Jessica (@stressicaleedmb), a mother, shared how Parton changed her blind son's life. Living in a place where books for the visually impaired were hard to find, Dolly Parton's foundation came through. Jessica's comment was shared on X by Daniel (@pojkdan) on August 26, 2026 and it received over 680,000 views, 92,000 likes, 10,000 reshares, and 61 comments.
'She truly did care'
Thousands of people poured out their tributes after Dolly Parton's passing, and Jessica was one of them. In the comment, she revealed that her son was completely blind. She lived in an area where books in Braille were difficult to find, whether in stores or libraries. However, once a month, her son would receive a book in Braille from Dolly Parton's foundation. For that, Jessica was extremely grateful. She wrote, "I wish I could explain to you what a big deal that is... Dolly made sure that even children with visual impairment had access to reading. She truly did care about all people."
Imagination Library
Dolly Parton launched her Imagination Library in 1995. The program initially distributed books to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up. In 2000, it began a national replication effort, and by 2003, the program had mailed its one millionth book. The program later expanded internationally, launching in Canada in 2006, the UK in 2007, Australia in 2013, and the Republic of Ireland in 2019. Braille and audiobooks were added to the program in 2011. Dolly Parton's foundation has also received several honors for its work, including the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and the Library of Congress Literacy Awards' Best Practices award.
Humble to the core
A perfect humble human to her core. We were lucky to share time on earth with Dolly.
— RAM (@RAMgxbj) August 26, 2026
Was on my bucket list to meet Dolly before I died. Got as far as Gainsville Florida this year from Ireland with intention to fly to Nashville but unfortunately there was an ice storm last January and couldn’t make it. Intented to try again next year. What a person RIP Dolly.
— Kevin Slowey (@kbslowey) August 26, 2026
Netizens are still mourning Dolly Parton's passing, but they also gushed about what a good person she was in the comments. @JonquilLucy wrote, "I was thinking it was 1 child, 1 book, which would have been wonderful in itself, but then I heard on the radio it was a book a month for 5 years. Wow, and now this! Dolly had thought of every child. What a gal!" Dolly did not just send books in Braille. @12rubi10 revealed, "We received her books in bilingual format. Always so special to read these books to my son in English and Spanish!"
More on Scoop Upworthy
Adorable letter from Dolly Parton in a kid's book is why she'll always be a national treasure
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