Dolly Parton’s Childhood Doctor Received A Sack Of Cornmeal And A Song

Country musician Dolly Parton has advocated for many charities and hospitals that provide much-needed medical care in the Smoky Mountains. One of these organizations is the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation.

The Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation raises money for medical care for impoverished families in Dolly’s hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. The foundation also memorializes the doctor who delivered Dolly Parton. Dr. Thomas (1891–1980) inspired Parton to carry on his legacy by supporting health outreach programs in rural Tennessee.

When Dr. Thomas Delivered Dolly Parton

In Dolly Parton’s book Songteller, she tells the story of her birth and of the doctor who helped save her life. On a cold January day in 1946, Avie Lee Parton struggled in labor. She lived with her family in a small cabin in East Tennessee — a place where doctors were in short supply. Her husband, Robert Lee Parton Sr., took a horse and sought help. He found Dr. Robert F. Thomas, a Methodist missionary who led a nearby church and clinic.

The doctor helped deliver Dolly Parton during a snowstorm. The Parton family did not have money to pay Thomas, so they gave him a sack of homemade cornmeal in exchange for his medical assistance.

Thomas was accustomed to emergency care. Many impoverished families who lived in Sevier County depended on neighbors and family members to help with childbirth. Thomas would step in to help during more complicated deliveries. “Traveling the rugged terrain by foot, Jeep, and horseback, ‘the Doc’ made as many as 1,000 house calls each year,” according to the LeConte Medical Center’s Office of Philanthropy. During many of these house calls, Thomas balanced life and death in his worn doctor’s bag. In Songteller, Parton writes, “ a lot of [people] would hold a gun on him: ‘If my wife dies or my daughter dies, you’re going to die, too.’ … But anytime you cut a leg half off — you couldn’t go all the way to Knoxville to the nearest hospital — you’d go get Dr. Thomas.”

Singing Dr. Thomas’ Praises

In 1972, Parton wrote “Dr. Robert F. Thomas,” a song meant to honor Thomas and other rural healthcare professionals.

The lyrics are as follows:

CHORUS

Dr. Robert F. Thomas,

May his name forever stand.

Dr. Robert F. Thomas

Was a mighty, mighty man.

And he enriched the lives

Of everyone that ever knew him.

And in my song, I hope to sing

Some of the praise that’s due him.

Dr. Thomas was a man the Lord must have appointed

To live among us mountain folks in Eastern Tennessee.

And he delivered more than half the babies in those mountains.

Among those babies, he delivered me.

There was no way to drive along the roads back in those mountains.

But Dr. Thomas got there just the same.

He often rode on horseback, to get where he was needed.

But if he had to walk, he always came.

REPEAT CHORUS

Dr. Thomas was a friend, a neighbor, and a doctor,

Though he seldom got a dime for all he’d done.

And I remember lots of times we sent for Dr. Thomas,

But I don’t recall a time he didn’t come.

They say a man is judged by the deeds he does while livin’,

A judgment when he stands before the Lord.

And I know Heaven holds a place for men like Dr. Thomas,

And I know he’ll receive his just reward.

REPEAT CHORUS

Lingering Health Disparities in East Tennessee

Dr. Robert F. Thomas helped countless families in rural Tennessee. However, locals still struggle with reproductive health disparities. According to the Morehouse School of Medicine, there are 100 communities that are medically underserved in Tennessee. In other words, people who live in one of those communities might need to travel long distances (if they can travel at all) to visit a doctor’s office or hospital. According to the Tennessee Justice Center, “47 of the [state’s] 95 counties lack an ob-gyn.” Tennessee residents who live in poverty and who are uninsured are more likely to experience high infant mortality rates, prenatal and postnatal complications, and other serious health issues.

Healthcare organizations like the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation are partnering with legislators to propose better health policies. These efforts galvanized the Tennessee General Assembly to create the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. The committee’s first report found that 85% of the state’s annual maternity-related deaths could have been prevented with better access to reproductive care and affordable health services.

If you live in Tennessee and need prenatal or postnatal health support, consider consulting with TennCare. A local health department may be able to provide you with discounted healthcare and family planning options.