Dolly Parton’s niece Danielle has shared that she is facing a cancer diagnosis of her own, 2 months after her aunt died from the disease. She says doctors caught it early and describes it as “stage zero.”
“I’m going through a little bit of a cancer battle myself right now.” — Danielle, Dolly Parton’s niece
The 50-year-old shared the diagnosis and added: “I’m OK.”
Danielle hasn’t disclosed what type of cancer she has. She recalled telling Dolly about her health concerns while she was having a biopsy, without knowing the full extent of her aunt’s illness.
“I didn’t know, like anybody else, what she was dealing with. I knew she was sick,” Danielle said. She described Dolly as “devastated” by the news about her niece.
“She worried more about everybody else before she would ever let you know anything was wrong with her,” Danielle said. Dolly died in August at 80 following a brief battle with an undisclosed type of cancer.
Danielle was named brand ambassador for Dolly’s estate on October 22. Announcing the role on Instagram, she spoke about the family’s responsibility to preserve Dolly’s stories, values and lessons, and pledged to support the people continuing her work.
“I’m so grateful to help care for a legacy that means so much not only to my family but to all of you,” she said.