Local Buffalo Bills fan pens heartfelt Damar Hamlin reflections: 'I woke up with Damar on my mind and in my prayers'
Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin, #3 (Credit: Greg M. Cooper/AP)
It seems like the whole world’s attention is turned toward a young football player who suffered a cardiac arrest during a live broadcast of Monday Night Football.
Dianna Hobbs, 46, a Buffalo resident and local fan, wrote reflections about Damar Hamlin, 24, in a Tuesday post on her top ranked Christian blog, “Your Daily Cup of Inspiration.”
“Last night, I sat in bed next to my husband Kenya watching the scary events unfold,” said Hobbs, a member of “Bills Mafia,” the name of the Buffalo team’s fan base. “We both did what comes naturally to us and interceded for Damar and his family. Many others prayed too.”
Emotionally shaken Buffalo Bills team and staff gather on the field to pray for Damar Hamlin, as the audience watches in stunned silence. (Credit: JOSHUA A. BICKEL | AP)
Hamlin was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn’t appear unusually violent.
Higgins was running with the ball on a 13-yard pass from Joe Burrow when he led with his right shoulder, hitting Hamlin in the chest. Hamlin then wrapped his arms around Higgins’ shoulders and helmet to drag him down. Hamlin quickly got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.
Hamlin was down for 19 minutes while receiving medical attention. WXIX-TV in Cincinnati reported that Hamlin required an automated external defibrillator (AED) in addition to CPR on the field.
“At once, sports rivalries and athletes’ stats no longer mattered,” continued Hobbs who comes from a family of diehard football fans. “The national football league and its schedule ceased to be a priority. Around the world, genuinely concerned football fans and non-fans rallied in prayer on behalf of Damar who continues to fight for his life.”
Cardiac specialists say it’s too soon to know what caused Hamlin’s heart to stop, but a rare type of trauma called commotio cordis is among the possible culprits. Commotio cordis occurs when a severe blow to the chest causes the heartbeat to quiver, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
The condition only happens during a rare set of circumstances: when a sharp hit lands directly over the heart “at the exact wrong location at the exact wrong timing” during the heart’s rhythm cycle, said Dr. Rod Passman, director of the center for arrythmia research at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Hobbs, an award-winning media specialist and writer, told readers, “This morning, I woke up with Damar on my mind and in my prayers. I also reflected on the fragility of life and how quickly situations can deteriorate. In an instant, our world can be shattered by complicated issues that we don’t know how to address or resolve. Though we wish bad things didn’t happen, sometimes, calm moments turn chaotic in a blink.”
In the January 3 post titled, “You are Fortunate,” Hobbs mentions finding comfort in a Bible story about a dead man being brought back to life supernaturally.
“This story has a happy ending,” said Hobbs in the encouraging message. “Yet, we are mature enough to understand that not all stories end this way. Though we cannot predict the will of the Lord in each situation, we never stop praying, trusting His sovereignty, and believing for the best outcome.”
