Damar Hamlin advocates for accessible defibrillators in schools

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is joining Senator Chuck Schumer to talk about life-saving legislation. They are teaming up to make defibrillators more accessible to students in elementary and secondary schools across the country.

Hamlin suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a Monday night football game in January and an AED helped save his life.

“Sudden cardiac arrest happens to more than 7,000 kids under the age of 18 every year,” says Hamlin. “A majority of the kids impacted are student athletes. And research shows that one in every 300 youth has an undetected heart condition putting them at risk. For schools that have AEDs, survival rate is seven times higher.”

“Damar’s injury and recovery unified us all,” says Schumer. “He brought us together and he’s continuing to do just that.”

Hamlin has also partnered with the American Heart Association for the CPR challenge to educate people about the life-saving technique.