If you followed the story of former NBA big man and Survivor contestant Scot Pollard, you know his life took a dramatic turn in early 2024
After a virus aggravated a genetic heart condition that had already haunted his family, Scot’s only option was a transplant.
While headlines focused on the 7-footer’s health battle, there was another steady presence in every update: his wife, Dawn Pollard.
She was the voice on social media, the coordinator behind the scenes, the person holding the family together, and the advocate helping others understand organ donation.
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Table of Contents
Who Is Dawn Pollard? Meet Scot Pollard’s Wife
Dawn is more than “the wife of.” She is a Colorado native who has made a home in Indiana, a luxury real-estate professional, a former model and event host, and, by all accounts, the engine of her household.
Long before Scot’s transplant, she had experience managing busy calendars, running events, and supporting community causes.
When the stakes became life and death, those same skills, plus her calm, practical optimism became a lifeline for Scot and their family.
This profile explains who Dawn is, traces Scot’s medical journey from waiting list to transplant to advocacy, and shows how Dawn’s constant caregiving and communication helped transform a terrifying medical marathon into a message of hope for other families.
You’ll also find a quick-facts table, a timeline, frequently asked questions, and sources for further reading.
Quick Facts (Stats Table)
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dawn Michelle DeGasperis Pollard (commonly “Dawn Pollard”) |
| Known for | Realtor in Carmel/Indianapolis area; community work; public updates and advocacy during husband Scot Pollard’s heart-transplant journey |
| Hometown | Colorado; later made Indiana home |
| Current base | Carmel, Indiana area (greater Indianapolis) |
| Profession(s) | Luxury residential Realtor; previously model, host, and event promoter; has also served as Scot’s booking coordinator |
| Spouse | Scot Pollard (former NBA center; 2008 NBA champion with Boston Celtics; Survivor: Kaôh Rōng contestant) |
| Marriage | Married for 11 years as of early 2025 (anniversary post) |
| Family | Stepmom and mom within a blended family; Scot has four children (including Ozzy and youngest son Icean) |
| Notable role in Scot’s health | Scot’s primary advocate and update source during his wait for and recovery from a heart transplant |
| Hospital for transplant | Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville |
| Transplant date (Scot) | February 16, 2024 |
| Post-transplant advocacy | Ongoing organ-donation awareness efforts together, including public appearances and media features |
Dawn Pollard: Life, Work and Voice
Dawn first built her professional identity in lifestyle and events. Public bios note a background as a model, host, and event promoter, including charity golf events, along with a love of motorcycles.
Later, she pivoted into real estate in Indiana, where she emphasizes client communication, negotiation, and detail skills that translate well to crisis coordination.
Multiple Realtor profiles and social posts place her in the Carmel/greater Indianapolis market, often associated with luxury listings.1
Getting ready for this webinar. And by getting ready I mean I’m just thinking about what I’ve been through for the last year and a half plus 3 years of heart failure before that…https://t.co/wk13qtURIS
— Scot Pollard (@ScotPollard31) August 20, 2025
On social media, Dawn’s tone is upbeat, practical, and personal. She shares family milestones, supports local causes, and celebrates wins for clients and friends.
When Scot’s health story became urgent, Dawn shifted into an information hub role—posting timely updates, thanking medical teams, advocating for organ donation, and humanizing a process that can feel opaque and frightening. Her posts helped thousands understand what “waiting for a heart” actually looks like day to day.
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The Medical Story: Life After Surgery
Scot’s heart troubles didn’t come out of nowhere. His father died at 54 while awaiting a transplant, and Scot carries the same genetic vulnerability. A virus in 2021 worsened his condition, accelerating the need for a new heart.
By early 2024, he was in intensive care at Vanderbilt, on the list and waiting. Because of Scot’s size, not every donor heart would work; the heart needed to be strong enough to pump for a large body, and matching logistics narrowed the field.
National outlets documented the wait and Dawn’s steady updates during those anxious days. 2
The Call And The Surgery
On February 16, 2024, the transplant happened. Reports from VUMC and national outlets confirm the date and the whirlwind sequence around it.
Within hours of waking, Scot was talking, even joking, and standing briefly signs of early progress that Dawn relayed publicly with gratitude to the donor’s family and the surgical team.
Those early days mattered: they set the tone for a recovery the couple would share openly, both to inform and to encourage other families in the transplant community.3
Recovery, Advocacy, And A Powerful Connection
In 2025, Scot and Dawn’s story took a deeply human turn when Scot met the family of his donor, Texan Casey Angell.
The moment linked grief and gratitude in the most direct way and highlighted what organ donation makes possible.
Scot and Dawn have since appeared at events and in media to advocate for donation and to honor Casey’s life.4
Inside The Waiting Period: What Families Actually Live Through
“Awaiting a heart transplant” is not just about a list number. It’s weeks or months of lab work, scans, medications, fluid monitoring, nutrition targets, infection precautions, and strict activity limits.
For loved ones, it’s logistics on overdrive: insurance calls, caregiver rotations, transportation, housing near the hospital, and constant communication with medical teams.
Dawn took that on while raising a blended family, keeping friends and fans informed, and protecting Scot’s energy and focus.
From a practical standpoint, here’s what waiting meant for the Pollards:
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Hospital time and monitoring. Scot spent days in the ICU while waiting, monitored constantly to manage arrhythmias, blood pressure, and organ function.5
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Size-matched donor needs. His large frame required a heart capable of meeting higher cardiac output demands—a key reason the search could take longer.
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Emotional load. Every “possible match” brings hope and fear. Caregivers carry that roller coaster while handling meals, messaging, and morale. Dawn’s updates show how she channeled that stress into gratitude and advocacy—thanking the donor family even before she knew who they were.
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Family coordination. The ESPN feature and local coverage mention their children and the way the family adapted routines around hospital life, injuries, and school sports—a reminder that serious illness lands in the middle of normal life.6
Dawn’s Roles During The Wait
1) Communicator-in-Chief.
Dawn’s posts became the most reliable heartbeat of the story: short, clear, and hopeful. She translated medical steps into plain language and celebrated small wins: a first walk, a tube removed, a quiet day of rest. National outlets often cited her updates.7
2) Advocate For Organ Donation.
Even in the tense waiting days, Dawn emphasized gratitude for donors and families who say yes. After the transplant and especially after meeting Casey Angell’s family Dawn and Scot leaned further into public advocacy, speaking at events like the Indy 500 parade festivities and on national media.
3) Household CEO.
Behind the scenes, Dawn handled the real-life details: scheduling, insurance, housing, and the family calendar. Her real-estate and events background shows up here the same logistics brain that moves a home sale or a charity tournament helps manage hospital life.8
4) Professional Identity, Intact.
Dawn kept her career moving. Realtor profiles and recognitions in 2025 show she stayed active in the Carmel-area market even as she balanced family and advocacy. That continuity matters to many caregivers who fear disappearing from professional life.
After The Transplant: What “Doing Well” Actually Means
“Feeling great” after a heart transplant is the headline people love, and Scot has said just that alongside jokes and smiles in those early recovery updates.
But transplant life is also about discipline: daily meds, infection vigilance, cardiac rehab, and regular biopsies or imaging to check for signs of rejection.
Dawn’s posts and interviews reflect that steady work—celebrating gym visits, family trips, and normal days while respecting the guardrails. VUMC and ESPN’s coverage make it clear: recovery is a marathon, not a switch.9
An especially moving chapter came in 2025, when Scot and Dawn deepened their relationship with donor Casey Angell’s family.
Sharing a parade float at the Indy 500 Festival and spending time together over the race weekend honored Casey’s life in a public, joyful way. That chapter has helped many people see organ donation as a legacy of love, not just a medical act. 10
Timeline: From Waiting To Advocacy
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2021 – Viral illness worsens Scot’s underlying genetic heart condition.
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January–February 2024 – Scot publicly shares that he needs a heart transplant; admitted to ICU at Vanderbilt while awaiting a match. Dawn posts regular updates.
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February 16, 2024 – Scot undergoes a successful heart transplant at VUMC. Dawn shares early recovery milestones.11
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Mid-2024 – Steady recovery and public gratitude to the donor family; continued community involvement and organ-donation advocacy.
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Spring–Summer 2025 – ESPN’s E60 documentary and feature “Heart of Pearl” air and publish, showing the Pollards’ journey. Scot meets donor Casey Angell’s family; they celebrate Casey’s legacy together at Indy 500 Festival events.12
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1) Who is Dawn Pollard?
Dawn is a Colorado-born professional who lives in the Carmel/Indianapolis area of Indiana.
She works in luxury residential real estate and previously worked as a model, host, and event promoter. She’s also known for coordinating appearances for her husband, former NBA center Scot Pollard.13
Q2) How did Dawn support Scot during his heart-transplant journey?
Dawn became the family’s lead communicator and organizer. She posted clear updates, balanced family logistics, advocated for organ donation, and helped Scot focus on rest and rehab. National outlets often cited her updates during and after the surgery.
Q3) When did Scot Pollard receive his heart transplant?
Scot received his heart transplant on February 16, 2024, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Q4) Why was finding a donor heart challenging?
Scot’s size and cardiac demands meant he needed a heart strong enough to support a large body. That narrows potential matches and can extend the wait.
Q5) How is Scot doing now?
Reports through 2024 and into 2025 describe strong progress and a return to daily life with continued medical follow-up.
Scot and Dawn have embraced advocacy, including meeting the donor’s family and appearing in ESPN’s E60 feature.
Final Word
“Awaiting a heart transplant” is a phrase you never want to read about someone you love.
For the Pollards, it became a chapter they met together with Dawn steering communication, care, and calm while Scot fought to heal. Today, they stand on the other side, paying the gift forward through advocacy and education.
If you’re new to their story, start with ESPN’s Heart of Pearl and VUMC’s coverage, then follow Dawn’s updates.
You’ll find a portrait of a family that chose clarity, gratitude, and action when life demanded all three.
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