Damar Hamlin returns to Cincinnati to raise CPR awareness

CINCINNATI — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin returned to Cincinnati Saturday six months after his life was saved by CPR and AEDs at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

>>Photos: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapses, receives CPR on field

His ‘Chasing M’s Foundation’ hosted a community hands-only CPR education event with the American Heart Association Saturday afternoon on the campus of the University of Cincinnati, according to a UC Health spokesperson.

Hamlin partnered with clinicians from UC Health’s University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the American Heart Association on the event.

“I always say you can’t make the world a better place without action. To learn CPR and to2 receive these AEDs, that’s a step in taking action to make this world a better place. So thank you,” Hamlin told attendees.

More than 500 people registered to receive free hands-only CPR training, the spokesperson said.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Damar Hamlin Chasing M’s Foundation CPR Tour to come to Cincinnati for free training

Hamlin’s life was saved by CPR and AED on January 2 after he suffered cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

Members of the UC Health on-field and hospital care teams who provided his care spoke alongside him Saturday.

“Thank you, Damar, for the heart you have shown our community and communities nationwide. Your leadership is changing the game of survival in the event of cardiac emergencies both on the field and elsewhere. It’s no surprise that you continue to win in the game of life,” said Woods Curry, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a UC Health emergency medicine physician.

Hamlin and his family also returned to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for a private visit with the hospital’s care team, a spokesperson said.

“They treated me with a care that was unmatched,” Hamlin said. “I told them I felt like family – I didn’t feel like just a patient who was going through a life-or-death situation. They genuinely cared.”

For more information or to request CPR training, visit this website.