CINCINNATI — Cincinnati will always remember those terrifying moments at Paycor Stadium when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game against the Bengals.
The Tri-State — and the nation — rallied around Hamlin, his family and his medical care team as he recuperated at UC Medical Center.
Months later, Hamlin actually returned to the Queen City with his foundation to help teach others how to do hands-on CPR and push for more AEDs after both were used on him when he collapsed on the field.
Now, at the same stadium where Hamlin was first treated, the Bengals are partnering with Cintas, Kettering Health and the American Heart Association to host a hands-on CPR and AED training event called "Save the Dey."
"It's a really great skill ... over 350,000 cardiac arrests happen every single year and only about 40% of those have the immediate response that is needed to save their life," said Amanda Changet, the American Heart Association's community impact director.
Changet said most of that immediate response comes from bystanders, not emergency responders, which is why "Save the Dey" is so important. She said performing CPR can be scary, but it is important to know it because it could be needed at any given time.
"It raises awareness and they'll be more empowered to utilize that in the event of an emergency," she said. "People should not be afraid to utilize skills like hands-only CPR because we know that no matter the emergency, the importance is that people around them are responding to it. And as soon as you call 911, that chain of survival is activated."
In addition to the training sessions, CPR and AED machines are being given to schools and health care workers.
More information and training can be found on the American Heart Association Website.
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