Back in December it was announced James Taylor would be returning to Fenway Park this summer, another homecoming for the acclaimed singer-songwriter and Massachusetts native. While that June 21 show could possibly be cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, one thing is certain: Taylor and his wife Kim have stepped up for people in the Bay State and across New England.
The Taylors have donated $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital, which will “support the institution’s ongoing efforts to battle the escalating coronavirus pandemic that has threatened the health and well-being of millions across the nation and around the world.”
Mass General announced the donation yesterday, adding that it “will enable the hospital to direct resources where the need is greatest, whether purchasing supplies and equipment, repurposing space, or furthering research seeking treatments and means of prevention for COVID-19.”
Kim Taylor described the ongoing pandemic an “unprecedented time of deep concern,” and cited MGH as “a place that is looked to for leadership — clinical, scientific and ethical — in humanity’s fight against the danger that is around us. We are proud to support a medical center that is leading the way on so many fronts.”
Adds James: “There is no question that it’s a point of pride for New Englanders to claim the MGH as their hospital — our hospital — and this is especially true today with the threat coming from a new and insidious virus Kim and I want to be part of this fight. We have been so inspired by the courage and sacrifice of the health care heroes in the trenches who are working so hard to protect us all.”
The Taylors’ donation, according to the hospital, will support the MGH President’s Emergency Response Fund, which was established in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and allows resources to be allocated quickly to support needs as they arise. “For the COVID-19 outbreak, these funds are supporting development of in-house testing, establishing a coronavirus hotline for patients, allowing spaces in the hospital to be quickly transformed to accommodate COVID patients, expanding telemedicine capabilities, and purchasing personal protective equipment,” MGH states.
James Taylor was born at MGH in 1948, and his father practiced medicine and research there after graduating from Harvard; Kim has served on the Mass. General Hospital for Children board for the past five years.