A recent terrifying moment in the NFL occurred during a game on January 2, 2023. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field after a tackle by Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Thanks to first responders, Damar's heartbeat was restored on the field, and he was transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Damar and those same hardworking medical professionals appeared at the Super Bowl on Sunday to reassure fans and celebrate the game’s big day. The crowd was ecstatic to see him looking so well after his near-fatal incident.
Damar and the first responders' appearance was not preannounced and came as a surprise for fans and viewers at home. They appeared in the pregame festivities. At around 6 p.m. local time at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the announcer first introduced the medical personnel, which included the field first responders from the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
"Please give them a warm welcome to Super Bowl 57," the announcer prompted the crowd. But that was not all that was in store. The announcer went on to introduce "a special guest here to show his appreciation." It was none other than Damar himself.
Damar expressed his gratitude to the medical professionals who saved his life by hugging them. He also made his hands into a heart shape for the cameras, which has become a symbol for him to show his love to fans during this time. He looked sharp in a blue letterman’s style jacket and white shades.
Although it has not been confirmed by Damar, a working theory behind his collapse and subsequent cardiac arrest is a rare medical condition called commotio cordis. Dr. Bernard Ashby, a Miami-based cardiologist, describes it as “a phenomenon that occurs when a sudden blunt impact to the chest causes cardiac arrest.” It is so rare that doctors “typically only think we’re going to read about it in textbooks.”
“Essentially what can happen is when you have a blunt trauma to the chest that occurs at exactly the right time in the cardiac electrical cycle, your heart can be sent into cardiac arrest,” Ashby explained. Commotio cordis is serious and can be life-threatening.
On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, Damar was discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center and Gates Vascular Institute. This was nine days after his cardiac arrest. He is continuing to recover at home and with the support of the Bills.
Damar has received an outpouring of love from the public. Many donated to his toy drive for underprivileged children. It had reached $8.6 million by January 10. That number continues to grow.
Damar is grateful for the public’s support and wants to continue his good works. "While I'm so thankful to everybody, I know that it isn't enough just to be thankful. This is just the beginning of the impact that I wanted to have on the world and with God's guidance, I will continue to do wonderful and great things. I couldn't do this without any of the support and the love and I can't wait to continue to take y'all on this journey with me,” he stated in a video message on Twitter.
