Heidi Stevens: Dolly Parton is the closest thing we have to a universally beloved icon. And that was before she helped fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.
Through wars and social movements and a wild ride of presidential administrations, Dolly Parton has remained one of the closest things we have to a universally beloved national figure.
And that was before she helped fund a coronavirus vaccine.
The Moderna vaccine, which the company said Monday appears to be 94.5% effective, was funded in part by $1 million that Parton pledged to Nashville's Vanderbilt University in April.
"My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who's been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of
