Heart of the Field

on January 2, 2023, New York’s Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati, Ohio Bengals faced off against each other during Monday night Football. After completing a tackle, Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin suddenly collapsed in the middle of the football field. Thousands in attendance of the game and millions watching on television were horrified at the sight of Hamlin falling to the earth with emergency services converging on the scene. This moment stopped the world in its tracks. It was so heart wrenching for sports fans who were crazy about the great game they were anticipating that night. Watching sports is one of the most joyous occasions of the human spirit and to see that joy interrupted with heartache brought the country to its knees, quite literally.

The cause of Damar Hamlin's collapse was a heart attack. When the reality of this became clear it was too much for the country to process. Hamlin is a young man, only 24 years of age and in very great shape physically, so this makes his condition all the more unfathomable. When we think about heart attacks we generally think about people 50 years or older, who have an understandable sense of health defects, making Damar's situation a devastating blow to the mentally constructed safety net around the American consciousness. To see such a healthy young man encounter such a heart wrenching fate is to be reminded of the mortality of our humanity.

As unfortunate as Damar Hamlin's ordeal has been I have to admit how grateful I am that it has brought the entire nation together. In the immediate aftermath of Hamlin's plight, the Cincinnati Bengals rushed to the aid and comfort of the Buffalo Bills, offering moral support, but even the good sense of sportsmanship did not stop there. In the week following Hamlin's incident many fans and athletes would show their love and support for Hamlin on the football fields, basketball courts and many other arenas of the sports world. Fans and athletes were wearing his jersey number and holding up signs of support and words of encouragement towards the healing of Hamlin.

Love and support for Damar Hamlin in the sports world was to be expected, but the unified stance of agreement on Hamlin's behalf that took place on social media and in my personal life is what I did not see coming. When I checked my social media accounts in the days following Hamlin's collapse I saw so many people in my personal life, many of which were not even sports fans, talking about how much they were praying for Hamlin and hoping that he was going to recover and get better. Many of these people also shared post expressing why Hamlin's plight has been so captivating and how unifying the love and support for him has been.

If I had to add my own two cents about why Damar Hamlin's story has gripped a nation, well its a really simple explanation: because pain and love are universal languages. When he collapsed that day on the field he was being watched by children who not only enjoyed watching him, but aspired to grow up and be like him. Hamlin was also being watched by parents who brought their families to his games to feel joy and create memories. Hamlin stood side by side with fellow athletes who he inspired to be great with his own dedication as an athlete and to watch him fall from a heart attack was to watch a beacon light and positivity dim in front of the world in which he shined so brightly.

Tears would flow in pain and reverence for his family, but prayers and public displays of encouragement would also follow suit. I watched churches and pastors lift up Damar Hamlin's name in agreement, believing and declaring that he would be healed. I watched athletes play their hearts out in his name and I watched average everyday people hold vigils for a man who they do not know personally, but love unconditionally with faith that he would make it back to health. Today I am happy to say that Damar Hamlin has slowly but surely been in the process of a great recovery and is has even made it back home to Buffalo, New York.

More tears have been shed since Hamlin's road to recover has began, but I am thankful to say that these have been tears of joy. Damar himself has even gone public sense regaining his consciousness to the world and has expressed his gratitude for all the love, support and prayers that were spoken over him throughout the duration of his ordeal. He also said that he intends to give back the love that was given to him during that challenging time. Every day life gives us a new story and the story of Damar Hamlin is one that will not be forgotten, but will instead be remembered for how the country shared one heartbeat for a man who's heart almost stopped for good. The love and unity created in the name of Damar Hamlin is a heartbeat on a field that will live forever.