A Utah man with cancer will always love Dolly Parton, who fulfilled one of his final wishes
Dolly Parton helped make the holiday season brighter for a devoted fan living with stage four colon cancer.
Utah resident LeGrand "LG" Gold received a personal call and more from the 77-year-old country music icon days before Christmas. In a YouTube video shared by Gold's wife, Alice, Parton can be heard comforting Gold and serenading him with one of her most popular songs.
"Hey LG, it's Dolly P," the singer told Gold. "I've heard you've been a fan of mine for many years and I just wanted to thank you for that."
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Gold, who has been battling cancer for the past two years, learned earlier this month that his cancer had spread to other parts of his body and that chemotherapy and radiation treatments were ineffective, Utah news station KSL-TV reported. At the behest of his doctors, Gold compiled "LG's List of Living," a bucket list that mentions trips to national parks with his family, various sports events and traveling to other states.
"Meet Dolly Parton" is No. 7 on Gold's 11-item list, written on a paper napkin.
In her conversation with Gold, who is a former attorney, Parton joked that she should have hired her fan as part of her team, thanked him for reaching out and said she was grateful for sharing "our journey in this lifetime."
She continued: "I always want to make people happy with my music and with the things I do and the things I say. I'm just happy to know that I've touched your life in some way. So thank you for honoring me with that."
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Gold replied: "You've been a huge help, especially with these past two years."
Parton, who is the founder of Dollywood Parks & Resorts and Imagination Library, said she just hoped to help lift Gold's spirits during the holiday season. "Just know that I will always love you," she said, before breaking into song.
"I will always love you / I will always love LG," she sings.
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After Gold's call with Parton went viral over the weekend, his wife posted "LG's List of Living" on his Facebook page on Monday. With the Parton item now complete, Alice wrote that his other wishes — a trip to Chicago and a Natalie Merchant concert — are in the works.
"If any of you have connections with other wishes on his list, please help us work some magic," Alice wrote.
In an interview about his call with Parton, Gold told KSL, "I feel like I’m immortal now.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
