GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, local doctors are hoping it leads to an increase in people looking to learn CPR.
Hamlin is reported to be in critical condition.
The medical team who rushed onto the field at Paycor Stadium and restarted Damar Hamlin's heart with CPR and a defibrillator made a big difference.
Minutes matter in these situations.
Now U.C. medical staff is working around the clock to assess his brain, heart, and organs.
Cardiologists believe Hamlin had been screened for many heart conditions as an NFL player, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Seeing what happened to Damar is traumatic--and is even hard for medical professionals.
"It certainly is the buzz, no questions about that, especially it's a healthy person, it's an athlete, it was on national TV, everyone saw this. Hopefully, this will really engage people to learn about CPR and learn about defibrillators because, again, this is truly a way to save people's lives," said Dr. Ronald Grifka, chief medical officer with the University of Michigan Health-West.
This is a reminder for all of us.
If someone collapses, first, check for a pulse.
Next, start CPR.
And finally, use the defibrillator.
If your church, business, or school needs a defibrillator, the Wes Leonard Heart Team donates them and teaches you how to use it.
That's in memory of Wes Leonard, the Fennville basketball star who died on the court in 2011 from an enlarged heart.
