Buffalo Bills’ player Damar Hamlin collapses on field, gets CPR; game suspended

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- After Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's sudden cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game, which has left him in critical condition, medical experts are urging wider availability of defibrillator devices in the community to assist people in similar straits.

My gym is equipped with an AED, and so was my workplace before I was working from home. There are home models too, but they're not cheap.

I saw part of a presser given by a couple of Hamlin's doctors today. They made it clear: more than anything else, it was the immediacy of the care Hamlin received on the field that saved his life.

I've been CPR/AED trained, but after the Hamlin incident, it occurred to me that my certification is 8 years old, and I've not had a refresher since. I've reached out to a friend who works for an assisted living facility & he's going to let me attend their next class for free, so I can make sure I'm up to speed.

CPR/AED certifications are easy and inexpensive. The Red Cross is a good place to start if you'd like to join the party.

 

I think he'll make it. Whether he plays football again remains to be seen.

 

Sounds like he is awake and mentally switched on. Asked who won the game. Great news.

 

Maybe in your world, but not in mine.

 

It really was a matter of this. For those of us who have been through this with our loved ones, we know Hamlin's doctors are correct. I remember when my husband was in cardiac ICU, when it became clear he was out of the woods, they called him the miracle man and wrote that on his dry erase board in his room. Never once, do we take this life we have been given, for granted. Every day is a gift. I am sure now Lamar is a part of this survivors' miracle man club who realizes the fine line between life and death.

 

The NFL game ought to have paramedics and ambulances on standby for the last games just in case a player suffers the same fate that Damar Hamlin did this past Monday. Whether that actually happens, remains to be seen.

 

Huh? They always have teams of medical personnel in the wings, including ambulances.

 

This made my day.

Damar Hamlin on Twitter: "Putting love into the world comes back 3xs as much… thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed. This will make me stronger on the road to recovery, keep praying for me! 3️⃣" / Twitter

 

I think they did something like that on Monday Night Football between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers in Milwaukee on November 1, 1971, where the game ended in a 14-14 tie. It was for the honor of the late Chuck Hughes. It was a good idea and perhaps they've done it ever since.

 

I believe I was right with this one.