Chemo Hero

Album: I Believe In You (2017)
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Songfacts®:

  • Dolly Parton recorded this track for her 2017 children's album, I Believe In You. The country star was inspired to write many of the songs based on themes of books in her children's library, Imagination Library. However this song and "Brave Little Soldier" hold special meaning for her, as they were written for her niece who battled a life threatening illness for multiple years as a child. Parton told Jam! Music the story behind this song in an interview publicizing the album's release:

    "My little niece Hannah Dennison, the daughter of my baby sister Rachel, had leukemia when she was four. Until she was nine years old we weren't sure that we were going to be able to keep her and she was being treated over at Vanderbilt Hospital here. And when she was ill I used to write all these songs for her, put 'em down to sing, and for her to listen to while she was getting well and going through her treatments and everything. So she's 29 now and so she's absolutely my chemo hero. I thought I would just put that in along with 'Brave Little Soldier.' Those two songs are two of the songs that I wrote for her when she was sick."

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