Scott Pollard was so used to his weak, failing heart that he didn’t realize how close he was to death.
“Oh boy. That was a wreck,” the former NBA player and “Survivor” contestant told The Associated Press on Friday, the day after he was released from the hospital and two weeks after his heart transplant.
“When they removed my heart, the doctors immediately realized I was close to death,” Pollard said. “I don’t think it’s been more than a few weeks.”
Pollard, an 11-year NBA veteran and member of the 2008 champion Boston Celtics, inherited the disease from his father, who died at age 54 when Scott was 16. Scott Pollard’s heart rapidly deteriorated after contracting a virus in 2021. Attempts to resolve the problem with medications and less radical treatments failed, leaving transplantation as the only option.
But finding a heart large enough to pump blood throughout the 6-foot-11, 260-pound former NBA center was difficult. Ms Pollard was advised to put her name on as many transplant centers as possible (but they needed to be nearby so that if a donor heart became available, they could respond within four hours). be).
Pollard, 49, underwent pre-transplant testing near her homes in Carmel, Ind., and Chicago, but when she arrived at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last month, she was placed in intensive care and ranked second in priority for an organ transplant. was pulled up. , due to his condition.
Nine days later, his wife Dawn posted on X: “It’s finally time to go!”
“The fact that it arrived so quickly probably saved my life. I don’t know how much longer I could have lived,” Scott Pollard said. “I was declining really quickly.”
Privacy rules prevent Pollard from knowing the identity of her donor, but she said doctors told her it was a “big name”. You are allowed to: Recipients can write a letter to be delivered to the donor’s family if they wish. (Mr. Pollard has not yet received such a letter, but he can also write a recipient.)
Pollard, speaking from temporary housing in Nashville, Tennessee, said she will need to stay for the next six to eight weeks for proper follow-up and is drafting a letter. In it, he thanks the donor (who he calls a hero) and offers to connect.
“I want to show them how their great man’s heart continues to live on and help people,” he said. “I want to show them that this heart is not wasted.”
Mr Pollard warns that many donor families do not want to have contact with donors because it means reliving their loved one’s death. Heart donors, in particular, are often healthy accident victims.
“If your heart is healthy, it’s because something else killed you,” Pollard said. “I hope they reach out, because I want to include them in the rest of my life.”
Their lives are already improving.
Even after retiring from the NBA, Pollard preferred to stay busy with broadcasting, several acting roles, and as a reality show contestant. But for the past few months, he’s had to stop and rest even just walking around the house.
It wasn’t until I woke up after a five-hour surgery that I realized how bad things had become.
“I just lay there all the time. That became my new normal,” he said. “As an athlete, you forget things out of your head. You push it through. But I couldn’t push that heart. I already know I can push this heart.”
After the transplant was performed by Dr. Ashish Shah, Pollard walked around the ward the same day. He’s now started doing “easy squats” and working on his balance.
“I’m a mover. I don’t sit around much,” Pollard said.
On Thursday, Pollard danced and shadowboxed her way through the hospital hallways, wearing a tank top with the words “But Are You Dead?” written on it. His caregivers applauded as he yelled, “I’m leaving!” He then robbed the camera while ringing the discharge bell.
Mr Pollard said he plans to campaign for organ donation.
“I’m going to bother people by being a donor. That’s going to be a project for the rest of my life,” he said.
He has already convinced one person to sign up.
“I never thought about becoming an organ donor because I didn’t have enough education about organ donation and there was some fear when I thought about the process.” Dawn Pollard said. “I signed up straight away because it became a reality that Scots need hearts. I am now proud to be an organ donor. I know I can save someone’s life. When I think about it, I am very happy.”
