Learn to Save a Life
Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin speaks in front of University of Cincinnati Medical Center staff during the NFL Honors award show ahead of the Super Bowl 57 football game, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Thousands around the world will surely remember the moment when Damar Hamlin collapsed minutes into the first quarter. The 24-year-old Bills safety took a hit to the chest during a tackle, stood up, and then fell, prompting a swarm of team physicians to storm the field and begin administering treatment. Within 10 seconds, Hamlin began receiving CPR on the field, before he was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. After being transferred to a hospital Hamlin announced on January 11 that he was being discharged from the hospital to continue his rehabilitation program at home and with his team.
Hamlin marked the start of American Heart Month, launching the #3forHeart CPR Challenge in conjunction with the American Heart Association (AHA) ton increase awareness and education on CPR.
The 3-step social media challenge is simple, calling for people to learn CPR, donate to the AHA to fund CPR education and training, and share the campaign using the #3forHeart hashtag.
“I’m excited to be teaming up with the American Heart Association,” Hamlin said in an AHA statement.3 “It’s going to be an amazing opportunity to impact and educate millions of people on the importance of CPR. It literally saved my life.”
Before starting CPR, call 911 first. If you see someone with symptoms of cardiac arrest, call 911 immediately. You want to get professional help there as quickly as possible. When the heart can't pump blood to the brain and the lungs, the person may become brain damaged or die within minutes.
If you're in a public place, look for an automated external defibrillator, or AED.
These lightweight devices shock a person's heart back into regular rhythm. An AED may look daunting, but it's designed for use by anyone, even untrained bystanders.
When you press the power button, the device will give you step-by-step voice instructions on where to put the electrode pads on the person's chest.
Once the pads are in place, the device measures the person's heart rhythm. It won't deliver a shock if the person doesn't need one. But if they do, the AED will tell you to stand back and push a button to deliver the shock. After using the AED or right away, if you don't have access to one start chest compressions. More information and training options are available at www.cpr.heart.org.