Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the pitch during a Monday Night Football match in January was a moment of national trauma that took place on live television. His recovery from a near-death experience and his balance as a person ultimately inspired the nation. Nevertheless, his decision to play in the National Football League again after a private medical trauma left many wondering how he managed to find the courage to come back.
In a recent interview at the CNBC Board of Directors Summit, Hamlin — who participated in recent practice with Bills after being completely cleared to return to play in April – he made it clear that his decision to return to the NFL was never unsure, given the approach he has all the time taken in life and what football has all the time been about to him.
“Football has all the time been my peace. It has all the time been my escape from the world. And it was sort of the place where I most overcame my fears in my life,” Hamlin said at the CNBC CEO event.
Hamlin noted that he also checked out statistics when making decisions.
Hamlin experienced a heartbeat, a rare heart condition that happens when there may be a dull thump in the chest at the same time as the heart is preparing to contract. If a physical blow strikes inside a narrow window of the heart’s rhythm – in a period as short as 20 to 40 milliseconds – it could possibly disrupt the heartbeat and cause sudden cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association, there are fewer than 10 cases of Commotio cordis per 12 months, and most cases occur in young male athletes, often in youth sports comparable to baseball.
Inside per week of returning to Bills practice, the players underwent training in the field of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Hamlin has grow to be a outstanding advocate for heart health through his partnership with the American Heart Association and a significant supporter of efforts for it provide more critical medical equipment and life-saving training in schools. According to the AHA, with timely resuscitation and defibrillation, survival and recovery rates after an episode of cardiac shock are greater than 50%. Hamlin recently spoke about this issue at the Capitol.
Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin is seen outside the United States Capitol ahead of a press conference on the AED Access Bill, which goals to improve access to defibrillators in schools, Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty’s paintings
Doctors imagine Hamlin’s health is nice enough to play soccer again, and it’s totally rare for somebody to suffer from Commotio cordis twice, or for survivors to experience other heart-related problems more often, according to the American Heart Association . Commotio cordis isn’t related to heart problems or heart disease.
Research conducted by Massachusetts General Hospitaland quite a few other studies around the world have shown that one in 4 cardiac arrest survivors can develop severe post-traumatic stress, which regularly leads to avoidance of situations that remind survivors of a health crisis.
Hamlin told CNBC he was focused on the future. “You already know, try to have a look at it as adversity, not getting caught up in what happened. Trying to give attention to growing out of what happened, you realize, not trying to take control of the situation, just trying to grow out of it,” Hamlin said.
Watch the full video clip above of Hamlin’s interview with NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor at the CNBC Board of Directors Summit to hear the football player in his own words about what it means for him to return to the NFL.