01/08/2023
This past week, the world has rallied behind Damar Hamlin. Millions watched live as the Bills safety suffered a cardiac arrest after taking a hit from Dee Higgins, Cincinatti Bengals WR. Six days later, Damar is conscious and in recovery –– and was even live tweeting today’s matchup against the New England Patriots.
Damar’s story is chilling, but his remarkable recovery is also a testament to successful implementation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Within seconds, athletic staff swarmed the collapsed athlete. Sean McDermott, head coach of the Bills, credits assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington (2nd photo) with saving Damar’s life for promptly administering compressions and defibrillation.
According to a paper published in JAMA Cardiology, roughly 90% of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) do not survive until hospital discharge. Although grim, these stats seem to mask the amazing outcomes of those who receive rapid and appropriate cardiac care before reaching a hospital.
Damar Hamlin is fortunate to have had such an amazing and prepared care team. Although this is a story of CPR success, it should again remind us of those situations in which emergency cardiac care could be improved. Youth athletics does not require AEDs and CPR certification for coaches, and it is our hope that this incident will provide the impetus for youth sports administrators to take action and adopt these life-saving preventative measures.
