February every year is special. As a cardiologist, I would like to spotlight not only Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest episode in the 2023 season for the Buffalo Bills but also encourage the NFL to “unite as one heartbeat” and bring attention to the #1 killer in America for Heart Disease Awareness Month in February 2023 at the Super Bowl.
Don’t miss this opportunity in the game of life.
-Dr. Kathryn McFarland
The Super Bowl and Sudden cardiac arrest
Some celebrate Valentine’s Day with loved ones whether it be spouses, newlyweds, fiances, children, grandchildren, or friends. Others in the month of February get excited for the Super Bowl as champions take center stage with other entertainers to let football and music fill their homes and hearts with songs, rivalry, and fun.
Still, others look to February as a month of education about the number one killer of Americans.
No, it’s not gun violence or suicide, and no it’s not cancer either, but cardiovascular disease!
For over 22 years, one of my biggest goals has been to increase awareness of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all that it encompasses.
Usually, February is very busy for female cardiologists who speak all over the world and nation increasing awareness of women about the risks of heart disease and how to combat the disease with control of most risk factors, exercise, weight loss, and lifestyle modifications.
This year is different.
I hope that this year 2023 will finally bring CVD and the illnesses it encompasses to the forefront of the American people.
Three Miracles of Damar Hamlin’s sudden cardiac arrest
Let’s talk about one special day in January 2023 when three (3) rare events occurred at the same time and have the potential to enlighten millions and to move with compassion the masses to action.
On January 2nd my two sons and I were wrapping up the school vacation by watching Monday night football.
We all love football.
Emmanuel is a Broncos fan, Jonathan is a Panthers fan and I myself am a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan.
We sit down with our favorite snacks to watch the week 17 game Buffalo Bills versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
As I was bringing in the popcorn to the living room, the game was halted in the 1st quarter with the score of 7 to 3- the Bengals were leading.
Damar Hamlin’s Cardiac Arrest in January 2023
Damar Hamlin after a routine tackle in the 1st quarter got up and then suddenly collapsed.
He required medical attention on the field. He was found to be in cardiac arrest and needed CPR and defibrillation on the field in front of thousands of people in the stadium and millions of people at home watching and in front of teammates and competitors.
His brothers on the Bill’s team formed a shield around him to attempt to give privacy to a scary moment for their family member. These brothers and the brothers on the opposing team looked on with tears, disbelief, and shock. Before Damar was taken off the field, he did regain a pulse and was taken to the nearest level-one trauma center for further evaluation.
What is Commotio Cordis?
Commotio Cordis is when a potentially lethal arrhythmia like ventricular fibrillation is caused by blunt trauma to the chest.
Commotio is a violent shaking/jarring or rattling that results from a blow to the heart. Usually, this can happen in baseball or hockey if the ball or puck strikes the chest directly over the heart at a certain time during the heartbeat or cardiac cycle.
This is rare with approximately 30 cases in the United States per year. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) claims 300,000 US lives per year and 70% of cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital setting. Normally 1 out of 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Bystander CPR usually occurs in approximately 40% of those cases.
First Miracle – The NFL game was suspended
So back to Monday night football. Three rare events happened during that 1st quarter of the Buffalo Bills versus Cincinnati Bengals game. The 1st rare event, the NFL game was suspended, not completed – couldn’t be continued. The players, coaches, referees, commentators, and fans could not proceed after witnessing a teammate, brother, competitor, and fellow human being go down with a life-threatening emergency, witnessed by millions and directly by teammates.
This rare occurrence usually was reserved for inclement weather or labor disputes but never after witnessing the cardiac arrest of a player on the field.
Thankfully NFL Players Association and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell agreed with the coaches, refs, and players on the Bills and Bengals teams. This was a life-threatening emergency and after those difficult-to-watch moments, the game could not go back to business as usual.
Second Miracle – Sudden Caridac Arrest is now in the forefront
The 2nd rare event was that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and cardiac conditions violently and abruptly moved to the forefront and took center stage right on the field of play.
No other injuries on the national stage have impacted America like Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
Yes, there have been life-changing and career-ending injuries like multiple concussions, paralysis, and even early advanced dementia that have been in the spotlight as they have impacted professional football players and highlighted the consequences of football careers.
These discussions have occurred in and out of locker rooms and in the boardrooms of Players Association meetings and NFL franchise owners’ meetings.
But not to the same degree in the media broadly with fans at the center.
Cardiovascular conditions and awareness intercepted the attention of billions of football fans, team coaches, NFL franchise owners, commentators, and even those few million who don’t even like football but heard about the shocking event from social media.
There is no turning back, no chance of fumbling, and now is the time for America to proceed to the end zone and understand that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of American men and women.
We must shine the spotlight on conditions like SCA that impact the lives of Americans.
As a female cardiologist for years, it has bothered me to see football players wearing pink socks and gloves, and jerseys for breast cancer which claims the lives of 1 in 8 women and even fewer men die from breast cancer. Super Bowl after Super Bowl goes by each February with no spotlight on the leading killer of greater than 500,000 men and women each year.
February is Heart disease awareness month and the largest platform has been silent.
Imagine if you will, every Super Bowl the two best teams competing on a national stage with billions of viewers, and thousands in the stands, and the players come out of the locker room with red numbers and last names on their jerseys and a red heart on the front of the jersey over the left chest area.
As staff gets ready to push the show stage into view and as they’re setting up the stage, all eyes are on the jumbo screen that highlights a survivor of a cardiac condition like Damar Hamlin. This would increase awareness to help Americans live better and healthier lives that focus on wellness instead of illness!
Americans would be better informed and information would reach segments of our population that do not have access to healthcare but have access to a TV to watch the Super Bowl!
Third Miracle – Prayers and Support for cardiovascular health
The last rare event that happened on January 2nd, 2023 was that millions turned away from football as usual and quickly turned to compassion and prayer for someone in their time of need.
Fans made signs saying prayers for Damar while they were still in the stadium; many left the stadium and proceeded directly to the University of Cincinnati medical center for a vigil and within a few days after his SCA episode donations abundantly flowed into Damar Hamlin’s charity account to the tune of 7 million dollars.
We literally witnessed a miracle on the field and in the stands. Visualizing an SCA that was witnessed, with medically trained staff present and an AED defibrillation prior to leaving the stadium and the restoration of Damar’s heart rhythm… before even leaving the field! There were prayers for a complete recovery and days later Damar was able to facetime his teammates gesturing in a strong-man pose and saying “Love you, boys.”
The NFL and Cardiovascular Awareness Month
Damar Hamlin whether or not he knows it will now be a mouthpiece for SCA.
He has the potential to not only raise awareness for cardiovascular conditions but also raise millions to buy and bring AEDs to every High school and junior high school football/soccer/baseball/hockey field and arena in the United States. In 20-plus years of practicing cardiology, I have not seen the Association of Clinical Cardiology have this much potential to educate and bring life-saving devices to local communities across the country as Damar Hamlin and the NFL now have.
Damar Hamlin and the NFL/NFLPA can help educate people on recognizing signs and symptoms of SCA; collapse and unresponsiveness; Calling 911 quickly; performing CPR until help arrives to deliver shocks after the assessment; and encouraging community members to take CPR classes.
This will increase the chances of survival in SCA and increase the number of trained community members in CPR and AED training, as well as increase the number of AEDs in sporting venues large and small across the United States.
Commissioner Godell, team franchise owners, and NFLPA president and board members, you have been thrown the ball – please don’t fumble!
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the hail mary pass please don’t drop the ball, keep moving toward the end zone for the score to beat Heart disease with education and awareness.
Sincerely,
