Damar Hamlin: Buffalo Bills safety cleared to make full return following cardiac arrest during game against Cincinnati Bengals
Damar Hamlin confirmed to reporters that he had suffered a rare cause of cardiac arrest known as commotio cordis, which the Buffalo Bills safety says is the leading cause of death in young athletes.
Tuesday 18 April 2023 21:01, UK
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been cleared to return to full football activities after suffering a cardiac arrest during last season's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, team general manager Brandon Beane said on Tuesday.
Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter of Buffalo's Week 17 matchup with the Bengals on Monday January 2 following a tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins.
"Since then he's seen three additional specialists, most recently on Friday, and they're all in agreement, it's not two to one, they're all in lock step of what this was and he's cleared to resume full activities just like anybody else who was coming back from an injury or whatever," said Beane.
"He's fully cleared, he's here and he is in a great head space to come back and make his return."
Hamlin himself also confirmed his return, telling reporters: "I'm here to announce that I plan on making a comeback to the NFL.
"I've been beating statistics my whole life, so I like my chances here."
He went on to explain that he had suffered a rare cause of cardiac arrest known as commotio cordis.
"The diagnosis of pretty much what happened to me was basically commotio cordis," Hamlin said. "It's a direct blow at a specific point in your heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest, and five-to-seven seconds later, you fall out. That's pretty much what everyone's seen January 2 of this year. Commotio cordis is the leading cause of death in youth athletes across all sports. So that's something that I personally will be taking a step in to make a change. Also, with that being said, all of the awareness around CPR and access to AEDs have been lowering that number as well."
Hamlin received CPR for 10 minutes on the field before being transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was intubated and declared in critical condition.
By the Thursday it was reported that Hamlin had opened his eyes and able to grip the hands of relatives, before being able to communicate with teammates over FaceTime and eat regular food on the Friday after doctors removed his breathing tube.
Hamlin would later tweet a photo of him watching the Bills' regular season finale against the New England Patriots, during which Nyheim Hines ran for a 96-yard kickoff return touchdown on the opening play of the game at an emotional Orchard Park.
Hamlin was discharged from hospital the following week and later attended the Bills' playoff defeat to the Bengals.
Four months on, Beane has confirmed the 25-year-old has been cleared to make a full return.
"My heart is still in it," Hamlin said. "My heart is still in the game. I love the game. It's something I want to prove to myself - not nobody else. I just want to show people that fear is a choice. You can keep going in something without having the answers and without knowing what's at the end of the tunnel. Or you might feel anxious, you might feel any type of way, but you keep putting that right foot in front of the left one and you keep going. I want to stand for that."
Damar Hamlin timeline of events:
- Monday January 2: Damar Hamlin suffers cardiac arrest during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals after a tackle on Tee Higgins before undergoing CPR and being transported to University of Cincinnati Hospital.
- Tuesday January 3: The Buffalo Bills release a statement saying Hamlin remains in the intensive care unit and in critical condition, while the NFL confirms the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed later in the week and that the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged.
- Wednesday January 4: Damar Hamlin is reported to be showing "signs of improvement" but remains in intensive care.
- Thursday January 5: The Buffalo Bills state that Hamlin has shown "remarkable improvement" over the last 24 hours, while doctors at the medical centre add that he has awoken and is "neurologically intact", adding that he asked in writing whether the Bills had won Monday's game against the Bengals upon opening his eyes.
- Friday January 6: Hamlin's breathing tube is removed as he FaceTimes Bills team-mates and tells them he "loves them"; NFL owners hold special meeting to approve resolution to AFC playoff plan after cancellation of Bills-Bengals game.
- Saturday January 7: Hamlin tweets for the first time since suffering cardiac arrest, thanking "everyone who has reached out and prayed".
- Sunday January 8: Hamlin tweets from his hospital bed while watching the Bills' victory over the New England Patriots.
- Monday January 11: Hamlin is discharged from hospital in Cincinnati and cleared to return to Buffalo to continue his treatment.
- Sunday, January 22: Hamlin attends the Bills' playoff defeat to the Bengals at Orchard Park
- Sunday, February 12: Hamlin makes appearance at Super Bowl
- Tuesday, April 18: Bills general manager Billy Beane confirms Hamlin has been cleared to return to full activities
