Buffalo Bills’ Demar Hamlin talks about his “remarkable” recovery in a new “Good Morning America” ​​interview

Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin talks about his sudden collapse during a football game and his remarkable recovery.

During an interview with Michael Strahan on “Good morning AmericaSalama Biles, 24, said he was grateful to be alive.

“That just set the record straight for me, you know, hearing it from the doctor,” Hamlin said. “Things could have gone differently and the details of everything that happened on the field – it would have been – would have been the last thing for me.”

Hamlin said he remembers preparing for that Monday night game six weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the last NFL games. He said he was feeling great.

“I remember the things we focused on going into the match,” Hamlin told Strahan. “I’m just trying to win.”

But with 5:58 left in the first quarter—after making a tackle—Hamlin stood up and then suddenly collapsed, going into cardiac arrest.

Denny Killington, the Bills’ assistant athletic trainer, immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, at Hamlin.

If CPR is performed on the patient immediately, It can double or triple your odds of survivalAccording to the American Heart Association.

Emergency personnel also used an automated external defibrillator, or AED, which is a medical device that analyzes heart rhythm and will deliver an electric shock if needed.

Strahan noted that it was Killington who alerted everyone on the sidelines that Hamlin’s medical condition was serious.

“I owe my life to my debt,” Hamlin said. “Literally. He likes to say he was just doing his job, and that’s right, you know? And that night, he was literally the lifesaver of my life.”

He added, “I’m really grateful for that and I don’t take it for granted.”

Hamlin was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit for several days — three of which were spent on a ventilator.

However, his condition is improving day by day and four days after the bout of cardiac arrest, he wakes up and manages to communicate with family and his teammates.

Hamlin said he remembers waking up and seeing his parents and friends who were having conversations around him. But he mostly remembers the first question he asked in writing: “Did we win?”

The doctors replied, “Yes, I won the game of life.”

When I saw it, I said: OK. He’s an athlete. He’s committed. Because you get up and you sit down and you go, ‘Did we win?'” Strahan said. Your mind is still in the game.

Hamlin replied, “I’m competitive, I play with all my heart and everything I’ve got. That competitive nature in me was still game thinking.”

One week after his medical cut, Hamlin was discharged from UCLA Medical Center and transferred to Buffalo General Medical Center in western New York.

Doctors described his recovery as “remarkable” and it didn’t take him long to start walking again, eating regular food, and starting physical therapy.

Hamlin declined to discuss what doctors think may have caused his heart to stop beating, adding that tests are still ongoing. But he said he feels lucky to be alive.

“I am just grateful [God] Hamlin said, “It gave me a second chance, you know, to live normally and come out almost without a scratch. Just to be able to carry on.”

Physically, Hamlin said he is in good shape and hopes to eventually return to playing football, but told Strahan his emotional recovery will take longer.

“I’m still working through things,” he said. “I’m still trying to process all the feelings and trauma that comes from, you know, dealing with a situation like that and not having people around or, you know, nobody in my immediate circle dealing with something like this.”

Hamlin said he is collaborating with the American Heart Association with the goal of getting 3 million people to sign up and learn how to perform CPR.