Damar Hamlin is using what happened to him when he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field to educate and help others.
Hamlin has created the #3forHeart CPR Challenge, partnering with the American Heart Association.
“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,” Hamlin said in a news release.
Medical personnel give Hamlin CPR on the field when he collapsed during a game between his Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, CNN reported.
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The game was at first postponed and then canceled after his medical emergency.
Hamlin was eventually transferred from a Cincinnati hospital to one in Buffalo and ultimately discharged on Jan. 11, CNN reported.
Hamlin and the American Heart Association hope that the #3forHeart social media challenge will spread the word about CPR.
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The three steps include:
- Learn: Go to heart.org/3 to learn how to do hands-only CPR. CPR is used when someone’s heart stops beating and if started immediately after, it can double or triple the chance of a person’s survival. CNN reported that first, you would call 911, then you have to press hard on a person’s chest — 100 to 120 beats per minute — to keep blood flowing, “acting like an external heart.” It helps to hum a song such as “Stayin’ Alive,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling” or “Just Dance.”
- Give: Donate to the American Heart Association to help with education, training and other initiatives.
- Share: Tag social posts with #3forHeart and challenge three friends to learn about CPR.
As part of the launch, Hamlin has challenged three famous friends — LeBron James, Tom Brady and former first lady Michelle Obama.