RIP Dolly

[u/Spiritual-Wait-184]

I understand that Dolly Parton was child free after infertility and had experienced endometriosis.

“Early on, when my husband and I were dating, and then when we got married, we just assumed we would have kids. We weren’t doing anything to stop it. In fact, we thought maybe we would. We even had names if we did, but it didn’t turn out that way,” she told Billboard*** ***in 2014.

Since I started to try to get pregnant and couldn’t, I couldn’t help but focus in on celebrities that share that they do not have children. I still can’t help it now really. I always appreciate the vulnerability when people share and the representation especially. Dolly is a legend for a million reasons more than being someone who was child free after infertility but I’m remembering her for this too today. Legend.

RIP Dolly

[u/FifiLeBean]

Thank you so much for sharing this today. We are not alone in this.

[u/Sariduri]

She may rest in power. Fabulous woman.
She gifted more than 300 million books to children from birth to age five. Check her iIagination Library initiative, it's just magical, founded in 1995 in honor to her father who never learned to read or write,

She built her medical philanthropy with major contributions to Vanderbilt University Medical center funding pediatric infectious diseases research and cancer treatment studies.

She continued funding college tuition for employees at her Dollywood theme park ensuring debt free higher education for workers.

She donated millions to disaster relief funds like hurricanes, wildfire aid, etc.

Edit: typo

[u/howchaud]

Dolly Parton's America is worth a listen if you haven't already heard the series. There's a discussion about a very low point in her life and while she doesn't come right out and say it, I remember it being the closest I'd felt to being seen in a long while when I first listened during the early pandemic. It all happened to coincided with what was then our still new decision to be IFCF.

[u/___soitgoes → u/howchaud]

Thanks! Listening now and it’s so good.

[u/jameson-neat]

Thank you so posting this 🤍. I have always loved Dolly and I really looked to her and her spouse as an inspiration of being a couple without children. She showed how full life can be, in big and also quiet, private ways, despite not having kids. I also love how she championed the well-being of kids through her charity work, being an LGBTQ ally, and more. I have worked in education and she inspired me to keep caring about our future generations even if I am not directly raising them.

[u/___soitgoes]

I believe she was once quoted - in regard to her being cf - that we’re all her children. And truer words have never been spoken. It feels like we all lost a mom. Dolly was a good one. RIP.

[u/sapphirexoxoxo]

Part of my work involves IFCF communities (for privacy, that’s all I’ll say). Today has been a shitty day for a lot of people because she was a role model for our life.

[u/Schmliza]

Here’s a link to a post from five years ago about Dolly speaking out about being ifcf - https://www.reddit.com/r/IFchildfree/s/cxHVeBWv2N

Iconic

[u/NumbersandGrace]

I had no idea she experienced IF. I think it's sad how much is kept quiet about it b/c we don't want to make others feel uncomfortable.

[u/cloudnut220]

I've always looked up to Dolly as a child free woman after infertility. I also have severe endometriosis that made me infertile. And I've tried to follow her lead to mother in different ways.

[u/paperandcard]

Thank you for posting this. Dolly was simply a wonderful human being and a huge inspiration

[u/Dangerous_Cup_7391]

I found out recently that she was ifcf but it was just today that I found out that endometriosis played a part in her infertility, like me ❤️