buffalo bills receiver damar hamlin has confirmed the reason for his january collapse was commotio cordis, an extremely rare event where trauma to the chest can cause
cardiac arrest.
on january 2nd, the twenty-four-year-old hamlin tackled cincinnati bengals receiver tee higgins during a routine play in the first quarter of the game. videos of the footage show higgins’ helmet collided with hamlin’s chest as both fell to the ground. hamlin initially got to his feet before falling backwards, unresponsive.
at his first
press conference since the collapse, hamlin confirmed the condition that caused the cardiac arrest, and assured fans he intended to make a comeback.
“the diagnosis of, pretty much, what happened to me was basically commotio cordis,” hamlin said. “it’s a direct blow at a specific point in your heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest, and five to seven seconds later, you fall out.”
according to the bills general manager, brandon beane, hamlin has been cleared by three different specialists to return to the game. before speaking to reporters, hamlin had been taking part in voluntary off-season workouts at the bills’ practice facility in orchard park, new york.
the return to sport approval was likely due to several factors, including no evidence of ongoing issues with the heart’s function or electrical rhythm, cnn chief medical correspondent
dr. sanjay gupta explained on cnn news central.
4 minute read
