James Taylor, wife donate $1M to help fight virus pandemic

BOSTON — James Taylor and his wife, Kim, have donated $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to support the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

The gift announced Tuesday will support the hospital's Emergency Response Fund, established in response to the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 to provide flexible resources that can be deployed quickly to support immediate needs.

The money will help the hospital direct resources where the need is greatest, whether for purchasing supplies and equipment, repurposing space, or furthering research, the hospital said in a statement.

Taylor, 72, has deep ties to the hospital. His father, Dr. Isaac Taylor, completed his residency in internal medicine, served as chief resident and conducted research there. James Taylor was born there in 1948.

Kim Taylor has served on the board of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children for the past five years.

"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," James Taylor, who lives in the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, said in a statement. "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."

Hospital President Dr. Peter Slavin called the gift a morale boost.

"The Taylors have long provided comfort and hope through music, and this latest gift embodies that same sense of humanity and sends a heartening message to our staff that their efforts are appreciated, and they are not in this fight alone," he said.