This Survivor Star Recently Underwent Incredibly Dangerous Surgery To Save Their Life

Since Survivor is such a great reality show, even people who are still figuring out which seasons to watch first tend to take Jeff Probst's show seriously. That makes a lot of sense since Survivor has many passionate viewers who love debating who the best winners are, how to rank every season, and which players are the best ever. However, even after fans learn things like which former players refused to return to Survivor, there are some facts that are related to the show that typically fy under the radar.

Once fans know facts like which former player was the first to be medically evacuated, the fact that the show's players suffer from serious emergencies still feels wrong. After all, Survivor players seem so active on the show. With that in mind, it is shocking to learn that a memorable former Survivor player recently underwent a dangerous medical treatment to save their lives.

Survivor's Scot Pollard Underwent A Heart Transplant

Since Survivor began airing in the year 2000, many of the show's players have gone through some incredible things after competing in the game. In some cases, Survivor players have gone on to have joyous experiences like getting married and becoming a parent.

On the other hand, some former Survivor players have gone through some truly awful situations. For example, a February 2025 USA Today article revealed that Brandon Hantz had been arrested on racketeering and arson charges, which led to him facing the possibility of twenty years in prison.

After Scot Pollard competed on Survivor, he underwent a situation that must have been harrowing for him. In fact, Scot clearly could have lost his life as he was forced to get a heart transplant to survive.

In June 2025, ESPN published an article detailing the news that Scot had received a heart transplant.

ESPN's article revealed the stunning news that Scot received his new heart on February 16th, 2024. For Survivor fans, that is bound to be shocking news since he seemed so healthy when he played during Survivor: Kaôh Rōng.

As a part of the same article, it was revealed that Scot didn't require the new heart because of something sudden. Instead, ESPN's article stated that Scot had spent three years fighting genetic heart disease.

In January 2016, Entertainment Weekly published the profiles for the cast of Survivor: Kaôh Rōng. As a part of his profile, when asked about who inspired him, Scot brought up his father, who he said gave him the genetics he needed to succeed in life. "My father. He gave me the genetics and the guidance until he died."

Furthermore, the article revealed that Scot's health began to fade a decade after he retired from his NBA career.

Most notably, ESPN's article quoted what Scot told him about his serious health scare. Based on what Scot had to say, it sounds like the former Survivor player found himself having to come to terms with how serious his health problems were.

According to NBA.com, Scot Pollard had an 11-year career in the league as a center-forward. Scot played for the Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics throughout his lengthy career.

While talking to ESPN, Scot revealed that he knew he was in so much trouble that he accepted his life might be ending.

"I do remember feeling like, 'If this is it, I'm going to be OK,'" he said. "'But if it's not, I've got a lot to do... I'm really glad I have a lot to do."

It makes sense that Scot accepted that his health issues were serious given his family history.

As a part of ESPN's article, it was revealed that Scot's father, Pearl Pollard, had a lot in common with his son. While Scot reportedly stands at 6 foot 11 inches tall, his father Pearl was 6 foot 8 inches tall. Unfortunately, when Scot was only 12 years old, his father's health began to suffer the same kind of health problems.

While Pearl was put on the heart transplant list, he required an organ that matched the size of his own, which never came. While awaiting his heart, Pearl Pollard had a heart attack while driving and passed away when Scot was only 16 years old.

In an attempt to safeguard his own health, Scot regularly had his heart checked throughout his life. After getting a clean bill of health, Scott got a flu shot which, he told ESPN, quickly led to his health spiraling.

"A couple days later, I got the flu, and it attacked my heart. I couldn't walk across the room."

Scot's doctor told ESPN that there was no way to know for sure what led to Scot's heart to begin failing. "We're never going to know for sure what happened, but he clearly was predisposed to having a heart that was not going to function well for his entire life."

Scot Pollard's Son Ozzy Pollard Responded To His Dad's Recovery

On June 15th, 2025, ESPN's YouTube channel published a video about Scot's ordeal as a part of the E:60 series.

As a part of that video, one of Scot's sons was quoted speaking about how it felt to see his father after the surgery. In the video, Ozzy Pollard described how overjoyed he was to see his father recovering after his heart transplant.

"It was the greatest day ever. I was happy to see my dad again, see him just smiling even though he was had all these tubes around him, but I was happy to give him a hug. I can completely tell the difference, and it's like I have my dad back from when I was younger."

Reading that quote from Ozzy Pollard is powerful, but watching the video is more affecting.

As he talks about his dad's recovery, Ozzy can be seen being overcome with emotions as tears rolled down his cheeks.