To recap, Hamlin, a defensive back with the Buffalo Bills, had just tackled a Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver during the first quarter of the game between his Bills and the hometown Bengals. Suddenly, after taking a few steps, the young man collapsed – and did not move. Emergency medical personnel from both the Bills and Bengals rushed to his side. Defibrillators were brought out, and CPR was instituted in an effort to save his life. For the balance of the evening, Americans were captivated, watching a surreal scene on TV, and wondering if Hamlin was going to survive. Subsequent news stories later reported his heart had stopped – twice; once on the field, where he was resuscitated by an assistant trainer for the Bills, and once more in the hospital emergency room when he was saved by ER doctors.
Now, professional athletes are considered physical freaks by those who attend to their medical needs. I once had an orthopedic surgeon describe in detail how a patient of his – a professional football player – recovered from knee surgery in half the time it would take a regular patient. So to see a professional athlete, in the prime of his athletic life, nearly dying from what was later described as a “cardiac event” was troubling to say the least. And who was this person? All most people knew was the young man played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, was a first-year player in the Bills, was unmarried and had no children. But the people of Buffalo (and across the nation) learned he did have a charity through which he was raising money to buy toys for underprivileged children. Its name is The Chasing M’s Foundation, and its goal was a modest one: to raise $2,500, so Damar and group could brighten up a child’s day with a toy.
Well, guess what?
Damar’s charity was more than successful. As of this writing, The Chasing M’s foundation has raised over $8.9 million dollars for those needy kids. You see when people couldn’t actually help Damar personally, they did the next best thing. They formed prayer groups. They volunteered in the Buffalo area (and reportedly in other metropolitan areas) to donate blood. And they contributed to his charity through a GoFundMe campaign. The color of his uniform didn’t matter – only that he was someone in need, so folks reached in any way they could to show they cared. Remember that, the next time someone complains about the state of the human condition.
I think Damar Hamlin, and everyone involved in saving his life, just made choosing the story of the year easy. Oh, and the Bills are still on track to play in the Super Bowl. Buffalo, take a bow. Well done!