A Roadmap To Damar Hamlin's NFL Return: What happens after Cardiac Arrest?

Brian's World

Buffalo Bills S Damar Hamlin's collapse from cardiac arrest is a sports moment that we'll never forget. The National Institute of Health says, "cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. Cardiac arrests are caused by certain types of arrhythmias that prevent the heart from pumping blood." Less than 12% of patients survive the ordeal, according to heart.org. I would argue that Hamlin's survival rate was higher given the speed and quality of care he was given on the field.

According to CNN, medical staff from both sidelines was on the field and administering CPR to Hamlin within 10 seconds. The ambulance was on the field within 5 minutes. We couldn't see what was happening but the looks on other players's faces told the story. It left us asking questions and trying to process the initial shock of what we had just witnessed. Victimsupport.org says that the rollercoaster of emotions we all were feeling is typical responses from anyone who would witness such a tragedy. We definitely didn't want to watch the rest of the game and apparently league officials felt the same way. The NFL's VP of Football Operations Troy Vincent was very vocal in his response to the tragedy, highlighting how the league had no intention of continuing play. He maintains that the only concern was Hamlin's health. It was a rough night in Cincinnati but it only took a few days for the sun to shine.

Hamlin woke up from a medically induced coma on Jan. 5th and was able to breathe on his own again, just 24 hours later. He was then transferred to Buffalo General Hospital to be released on Jan. 11th. That's a less than two week recovery! Remarkable. Recent reports indicate that he's still got a fairly convoluted road to recovery ahead but Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott says that Hamlin has been looking (and feeling) great. "It's limited, just overall, but he comes in, and I know he just started today or yesterday, just trying to get back to a little bit of a routine and just get himself acclimated again," McDermott said. "And taking it one step, one baby step, at a time." He says that Hamlin has been in the practice facility almost daily.

Things are looking up! But what's the light at the end of the tunnel? Could Damar Hamlin be on track to return to playing the game he loves? Let's explore what life looks like for cardiac arrest survivors and compare it to Damar Hamlin's case. We believe that we could discover a roadmap to his return to football. We'll also explore Brian's proposed solution to lowering cardiac arrest fatality numbers, high prices for AEDs and more.

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