Gratitude For The Smile That Keeps On Giving
I just can’t get Damar Hamlin off my mind. Like many of you, I was watching that Monday Night Football game when we all held our breath for what seemed like an eternity while this bright-smiled 24-year-old Buffalo Bills player suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of a routine play. Hearing the eerie silence resonate from the ground zero on the Cincinnati Bengals football field was awful, even from the comfort of my couch. I can’t imagine how traumatic it was for the football fans in the stadium and more importantly, for the teammates and players on the field; not to mention Damar’s family. All you had to do was read the faces of those surrounding the trauma on the field, and you knew this was a serious situation.
By all reports, Damar Hamlin is currently in the midst of a miraculous recovery. Back in Buffalo, he is home and continuing his rehabilitation. It’s been just a few weeks since his heart unexpectedly stopped, and his recovery is simply full of marvel. Yet, the greatness of this story is layers deep; for if not for competent and skilled medical personnel on the sidelines who stepped up, Damar’s journey could have been tragic.
As the world waited those excruciating minutes for updates on this young and talented young man, others were hard at work following emergency protocols and acting in tandem as only a trauma team can. For those with a birds eye or sideline view, the scene must have felt alarming and deeply upsetting. For Damar’s mom who was present, I can’t even imagine. Most likely she repeated a mantra of prayer with a fervor and desperation never before experienced. All the while, the medical team kept working, assessing and communicating in a code most laypeople might interpret as a foreign language. They remained calm dedicated to their pursuit to administer medical interventions with confidence. Their goal was to thread the needle of Damar’s possibility with expertise and hope. They were not willing to give up on the young and promising heart which lay before them.
I have a special affection for those who embody educated and technical hope that can save others. It’s been almost 10 years since my nephew, Conor was hit by a car and suffered a severe and critical injury that left him at the mercy of competent and skilled first responders. Those of us who love Conor are quite aware that if not for the medical team who worked tirelessly for hours to give him a second chance at life, he might not be sharing his bright smile with us today.
As a nurse who has been trained in CPR a multitude of times, I know the best chance one can have to recover from cardiac arrest is when emergency intervention can be administered immediately and effectively. Also, the medical staff in the hospital Emergency Department who pick up where the first responders leave off makes you want to invite them all to your next Thanksgiving dinner. I’m more than certain Damar’s family feels the same way.
Like my family, the Hamlin crew endured an immediate and painstaking orientation into the world of trauma care. One moment you are unaware of an emergency squad on call, and the next your heart is etched with gratitude forever more.
We all had the opportunity to be part of Damar’s national support group which made the updates regarding his remarkable recovery the best good-news story we’ve had in a long time. The fact that the world can still be enlightened by his electric smile is a gift that just keeps giving.