Damar Hamlin in Critical Condition After Suffering Cardiac Arrest on the Field

Philip Ellis
·5 min read
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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during Monday January 2nd's game against the Cincinnati Bengals after colliding with a player from the opposing team during the first quarter. The game was suspended when Hamlin collapsed, and medical staff rushed onto the field to perform CPR.

In an official statement, the Buffalo Bills have confirmed that Hamlin's heartbeat was restarted on the field before he was then immediately transported to a hospital, where he now remains sedated and in critical condition.

"Amazing effort and work by the medical personnel at the Bengals stadium and at UC Medical Center," wrote TSN Sports anchor Kelcey Brade. "For how horrifying and hopeless it seemed when he collapsed … we witnessed a miracle tonight. Keep fighting Damar."

Hamlin's collapse is believed to be a result of a medical phenomenon known as commotio cordis, an injury usually more common in baseball than football although still very rare, where a sudden impact at a very specific ventricle of the heart at a particular moment can cause it to beat erratically, causing cardiac arrest.

Messages of support and love for Hamlin have flooded in online since. In a moving statement on ESPN, former NFL safety and commentator Ryan Clark provided some valuable perspective.

"Tonight we got to see a side of football that is extremely ugly. A side of football that no-one ever wants to see, and never wants to admit exists," he said. "When you see both teams on the field, crying in that way, your first thought is Damar Hamlin, your second thought is his family. And this isn't about a football player. This is about a human... I think the next time we get upset at our favorite fantasy player, or get upset that the guy on our team doesn't make the play, and we're saying he's worthless, we're saying 'you get to make all this money'; we should remember that these men are putting their lives on the line to live their dream, and tonight Damar Hamlin's dream became a nightmare for not only himself, but his family and his entire team."

nfl jan 02 bills at bengals
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Physician and author Dr. David Agus echoed Clark's words on CBS Mornings, stressing the importance of prioritizing player safety during games. "These athletes, as we saw last night, put their lives on the line for our entertainment," he said. "And it's the obligation, I think, of all of us, to make sure they're protected as much as they can be."

Meanwhile former NFL pro Coy Wire, who played the same position as Hamlin with the Bills, said his thoughts were with Hamlin but also with the team at this distressing time. "This is a team who are tight like brothers," he said. "You're co-workers, but you spend more time with your teammates during the season than your spouse, than with your family, so there's strong connections there. These are players who've been through a lot, as have so many people in the city of Buffalo. These are people who mourned then rallied for the city after the mass shooting about seven months ago in Buffalo, these are people who mourned and rallied for the dozens of people who lost their lives in the tragic blizzard. These are young men who've been through a lot."

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