2016 Team PA player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, in critical but stable condition. Pray for Damar
Written by: Billy Splain on January 3, 2023.
Last night during the Buffalo Bills/Cincinnati Bengals football game, current Buffalo Bills DB Damar Hamlin was involved in a tackle, got up and collapsed. Almost immediately after the trainers got to him, they began CPR on the field. Players, fans, coaches all watched in horror as this took place. He was transported via ambulance to the UC Medical Center where he remains in critical condition according to a statement posted on Twitter by the Buffalo Bills.
Hamlins personal rep and friend, Jordan Rooney, posted later last night that “His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests.”
Hamlin, a member of the 2016 Big 33 team, played alongside teammates such as Miles Sanders who posted a simple “Come on 3” on twitter. Rooney also posted a link to Damar’s charity page The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive and suggested any donations for Damar be placed there. The link went viral and has raised over 4 million dollars in a short span.
This morning Hamlin’s family released the following statement:
We at the Big 33 ask that you all pray for our friend and teammate Damar and his family, friends, teammates and anyone touched by his amazing personality. We also ask you pray for the trainers and emergency personnel who last night were placed into action to do something they’re trained to do but have never, until last night, had to do.
During the ordeal on the field, an AED was used as well as CPR. We at the Big 33 are proud to have an expert on heart safety in football as a sponsor of the Big 33, the Peyton Walker Foundation.
“Damar Hamlin was lucky – lucky that his cardiac arrest was witness by thousands of people, lucky that he had access to world-class athletic trainers and medical professionals, lucky that CPR was initiated almost immediately, and especially lucky that there was an AED available to deliver a potentially lifesaving shock to restore a normal heart rhythm. The response was extraordinary. However, most cardiac arrest victims are not so lucky, which is why survival rates are typically less than 10%. What we all witnessed on TV demonstrates why community members should learn CPR and why AEDs must be more accessible. Survival shouldn’t depend on luck – we are working tirelessly to build a community-wide culture of response to increase those survival rates.”
STATEMENT:
The world watched as NFL player Damar Hamlin lay lifeless on the football field last night after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. Due to our own experience, we can imagine what Damar’s family, friends and teammates are going through and we truly hold them all in our thoughts and prayers.
The quick response from the training team and others was remarkable. Recognizing cardiac arrest, beginning CPR and using an AED to restore the heart rhythm are the 3 critical steps to help save a life when someone is in cardiac arrest. Every minute counts during a cardiac arrest emergency, and a rapid response greatly improves the odds of survival.
The takeaways from last night’s event: recognize sudden cardiac arrest, know how to perform CPR, and make sure AEDs are accessible.
The Peyton Walker Foundation provides low cost CPR training for the community, and has donated hundreds of AEDs throughout Central PA to nonprofits, schools and youth athletic leagues. We are also launching the “4 Minute City” in Cumberland County, making another 300 AEDs available at no cost to community members. Cumberland County will be the 2nd location in the United States to implement this community initiative to save lives. The 4 Minute City will expand into surrounding counties over the next 18 months.
To find out more about AED use as well as the importance of having one on the sidelines please visit their website located here.
