Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin shared about his life following waking up from a medically induced coma after collapsing on the field during a Monday night football game on Jan. 2.
He recently sat down with Good Morning America‘s Michael Strahan for an emotional interview, his first time talking to the press since he experienced a cardiac arrest. The athlete said it was a life-changing moment for him.
“Even saying ‘you won the game of life’ … that just put things in perspective for me, hearing it from the doctor. Things could’ve went differently,” he told Strahan.
He’s only watched the video “once or twice” while in the ICU and shared he hasn’t watched it much because of how it made him feel.
“It’s a crazy feeling, something I can’t describe yet. It’s something I’m still processing, something I’m trying to work through … why’d it happen to me.”
Hamlin has been cooperating with his doctors to determine why he experienced this life-threatening occurrence since he felt “normal” before the game, as he’s a “healthy, young, fit, energetic” person.
“It’s just something that we’re still processing and I’m working with my doctors just to see what everything was,” the 24-year-old said. “I’m doing great [physically]. Every morning, every night, I take 10 deep breaths to myself, and it puts everything in perspective for me.”
He’s still determining some of the feelings his frightening life-or-death experience caused. Because of this, he was uneasy about disclosing things like recalling the moments before his heart stopped beating.
“I’m still working through things. I’m still trying to process all the emotions and trauma that comes from dealing with a situation like that, and not really having no one in my immediate circle that’s dealt with something like that.”
In addition to being grateful to God, he wouldn’t have had a second chance at life without Denny Kellington, the Buffalo Bills assistant athletic trainer, who used conventional CPR techniques that ultimately saved his life.
“I owe Denny my life, literally,” Hamlin said. “You know he loves to say he was just doing his job, which is true. That night he was literally the savior of my life, administrating CPR on me. … That’s something I’m truly thankful for and I don’t take for granted.”
As far as his desire to play professional football again, he’s taking it one day at a time.
“Eventually, that’s always the goal, but I’m allowing that to be in God’s hands. It’s a tough situation. They can’t really tell because it’s an up to me thing I guess … it’s a long road,” Hamlin said.
