Damar Hamlin launches CPR challenge after cardiac arrest
Damar Hamlin has started a new challenge to encourage people to learn CPR after the procedure saved his life following an injury in an NFL game.
The Buffalo Bills safety, 24, has partnered up with the American Heart Association to thank his fans for their continued support almost a month after his collapse on the field.
He is challenging people to take part in his Three for Heart CPR challenge to ensure other people learn the vital skills which could save someone’s life.
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In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday (31 January), Hamlin said: "As you know, CPR saved my life earlier this year on the field and CPR could easily save your life or someone you love."
To take part in the challenge, Hamlin is asking the public to visit heart.org/3 to watch a short video to learn hands-only CPR.
The video only lasts one minute and it instructs people to call 911 and then put their hands on the person’s chest and ‘push hard and fast until help arrives’.
When performing CPR, you shouldn’t stop compressions for more than 10 seconds, the video states.
The second step is donating to the American Heart Association to fund CPR awareness, while the third and final step is to challenge three friends to do the same.
Hamlin challenged Lakers star Lebron James, fellow NFL player Tom Brady and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field on 2 January. He had collapsed with five minutes to play in the first quarter of the game, having been involved in a tackle with Bengals player Tee Higgins.
After initially rising to his feet, the NFL star then fell to the turf and lay motionless to the significant concern of his teammates.
Medics administered CPR to Hamlin as he lay on the field, resuscitating him once there and again when an ambulance had taken him to hospital.
By 8 January, he was well enough to make his first public statement on social media.
He wrote: "When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much. The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out.
"We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!"
Gregory Robinson