LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky man is celebrating almost two years with a new heart, a gift that gave him his life back.
But a stranger’s donation also came with a new family.
Roc Dabney of Pennsylvania is remembered for having a heart of gold.
“If you needed help, you called Roc, and he was there in a heartbeat to help you,” said Patty Briggs, Dabney’s aunt.
In a heartbeat, Dabney was gone. At 28 years old, he died in a car crash.
His family had a devastating decision to make, but they were committed to giving the gift of life to someone else.
“We just knew with everything that we had that someone else was in need, that he was willing to do what he could to help them,” Briggs said. “That’s what he would have wanted.”
Dabney’s heart of gold found a perfect match with Duewy Scobee.
“You don’t take anything for granted anymore,” Scobee said. “All the little things are really important. It really changes how you feel and how your perspective is on everything.”
Briggs’ daughter found a Facebook post about a Kentucky man finishing a 5K months after receiving heart transplant surgery.
“We just put two and two together,” said Briggs. “We got in touch with the family, and it turns out it was him.”
Just like that, they met the family behind the gift of life.
“From the moment that we met them, the feelings of gratitude are just unreal for somebody to be that generous, to give their loved one’s organs to help someone else live,” said Cass Scobee, Duewy’s wife and primary caretaker.
The families stay close with phone calls, Facebook messages and visits to each other’s hometown. Next on the agenda will be a group trip to Tennessee.
“They were just like family right from the get-go,” Briggs said. “We often say that Roc had a hand in choosing the person who received his heart. He picked Duewy.”
More than 75,000 people across the commonwealth joined the donor registry in 2025.
