Last October, Dolly Parton gave her fans a health update.
In a video entitled “I ain’t dead yet!,” the singer explained: “Back when my husband Carl was sick, that was a long time, and then he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.”
Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025. While the couple never disclosed what disease he had, Parton shared that he was “ill for quite a while.” Parton, of course, died this week of cancer, which she didn’t talk about publicly, following a couple of years of health issues including kidney stones. We don’t know how she didn’t care of herself, but her few words speak volumes given that she had been taking such extensive care of her husband.
While that video update 10 months ago may have felt like a small detail in the life of one of America’s most beloved musicians, it gives voice to a big problem immediately recognized by many of America’s 63 million caregivers.
When you care for someone else, it is all too easy to neglect to care for yourself.
