This article originally appeared March 29, 2023 in The Washington Post by Cindy Boren. Click here to read the full article.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, whose life was saved by swift-acting medical personnel and a portable defibrillator when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest during an NFL game in January, came to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to raise awareness for legislation that would improve students’ access to the type of care that saved him.
Hamlin, with his 8-year-old brother and 10- and 11-year-old cousins by his side, spoke briefly at a press event advocating for the Access to AEDs Act, which was introduced on Wednesday in the House of Representatives and calls for schools to receive grants for the implementation of AED and CPR programs.
“To me, these kids represent why we are all here today. As I was growing up playing football, I don’t recall ever thinking about CPR or knowing where an AED was in my school or on the athletic field,” Hamlin said. “For those of you who played sports, I’d imagine your experience was similar…
“Sudden cardiac arrest happens to more than 7,000 kids under the age of 18 every year in our country — 7,000 kids every year,” Hamlin continued. “The majority of the kids impacted are student-athletes, and research shows that one in every 300 youths has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk. For schools that have AEDs, the survival rate for children from sudden cardiac arrest is seven times higher. The Access to AEDs Act will help ensure that schools are just as prepared and trained to respond in a time of crisis as those on the sideline of an NFL game.”
