A year since NFL player Damar Hamlin's heart stopped mid-game, the recovered safety is partnering with organizations including the NFL to donate life-saving devices to dozens of high schools in Nevada. The initiaitive will cost about $100,000.
On Jan. 2, 2023, Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Medical personnel ran onto the field and began CPR and used an AED to get his heart started again.
Hamlin has since recovered and credits medical personnel on the sidelines for saving his life.
Hamlin has now partnered with several organizations to donate $100,000 worth of AEDs to all Title I high schools with an athletic program in Nevada, KTNV reported.
Hamlin was diagnosed with Commotio cordis, which is a rare type of cardiac arrest that happened immediately after taking a blow to the chest.
Related: Hamlin's Cardiac Arrest Illustrates Importance of AEDs
On Friday, Hamlin announced that his foundation, the Chasing M's Foundation, is teaming up with the NFL, American Heart Association, Nevada Department of Education, and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to donate AEDs to the 47 Title I high schools with an athletic program in Nevada.
"We love to learn from the good situations instead of the bad ones," Hamlin said, according to the KTNV report. "My situation could have went 1,000 other ways and everyone was still feeling that urgency they felt that first night, the first month, and the two months after it happened. We have to feel that urgency that we felt in the beginning, when my situation first happened. That's what we're doing here. We're keeping that same enthusiasm and we're keeping that effort going."
The state of Nevada is missing two of the three best-practice, evidence-based policies the coalition is advocating for across all 50 states. Emergency Action Plans for each high school athletic venue that are widely distributed, posted, rehearsed and updated annually. Clearly marked AEDs at each athletic venue or within one to three minutes of each venue where high school practices and competitions are held.
