Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during Week 17's Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills safety was taken to a nearby medical facility after being given around 15 minutes of medical attention on the field at Paycor Stadium. As NFL fans were sending thoughts and prayers to Hamlin and his family, conservative host Charlie Kirk chose another route.
On Twitter, Kirk commented on athletes suffering from cardiac arrest and that it's all too familiar of a sight. In light of Kirk's thoughtless comments, NFL fans turned to Twitter to put him on blast, and rightly so.
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Warning: NSFW language
In the first quarter of the Bills versus Bengals Week 17 matchup, Hamiln tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. When Hamlin got up after making the tackle, the Bills' safety fell back to the turf. Medical staff rushed onto the field, attending to Hamlin for nearly 15 minutes, including administering CPR and oxygen.
An ambulance came onto the field, taking Damar Hamlin to a nearby medical center. The game was ultimately suspended. Hamlin's mother attended the game and rode with her son in the ambulance to the medical center.
Damar Hamlin and his status after being taken to the hospital
The 24-year-old safety is in "critical condition" at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. In a statement, the Bills added that Hamlin is currently under sedation after the tragic incident at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
The statement said:
"Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in the Buffalo Bills' game versus the Cincinnati Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition."
Dr. Anthony Cardillo, ER specialist and CEO of Mend Urgent Care, was asked about what happened to Damar Hamlin.
Dr. Cardillo said:
"This is a phenomenon that when the heart is going between its beats, as that heart is depolarizing and then repolarizing, if you have traumatic trauma to the chest, at a very specific moment as that heart is repolarizing itself, you can go into a lethal ventricular arrhythmia, and that's what it looks like happened."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league office noted that the next steps would come at an "appropriate time" on when to resume the game. However, the bigger focus is on the health of Damar Hamiln.
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