57 thoughts on “Thoughts and Prayers for Damar”

  2. Probably none of us know Damar Hamlin as a person. But he is one of the thousands of Pitt athletes that brought the POV community together. My prayers go out to him.

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  3. My posts last night said that I was anonymous,,,,but as an Army medic I was beside myself praying for Damar to be kept alive. I don’t care if the severely injured player was a Penn State All-Star….a human life is what this was all about. Tex was so out of bounds that I believe that Reed should ban him,,,,and Annie was 100% correct in her statements. The U of
    Cincinnati Medical Center is excellent let us all collectively pray for Damar’s recovery.

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    1. Thanks. I read them this morning but the only thing I could think of to do was start a new thread.

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  5. I remember when Damar committed to Pitt his dad told PN and I am most definitely paraphrasing here “This is my gift to you.” As I do not remember the exact words I need to comment on my thoughts when I first read that because my recollection of the words is in conflict with my then memory of what Damar’s dad was really saying because at the time and I remember it distinctly it was that he was entrusting his son to PN and the University of Pittsburgh. There was no sense at all that Mr. Hamlin was doing Pitt a favor. At the time I thought that what was said was incredibly poignant and I still do because when a kid commits to a college that college and its people (especially the head coach) really will be for four years the parens loci. I was so touched by that then and it made me feel I personally knew the Hamlin family.

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    1. I was mad that he was taken in the 6th round! The guy only leads the Bills in tackles with 78 going into last night’s game in only his second year in the League. He’s a borderline Pro Bowl safety IMO. Maddox and Damar’s teammate Dane Jackson are both very good starting CB’s as well. Pitt backfield players should be getting way more respect on Draft Day!

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  6. I recall his commitment was a coup for Pitt given his rating and that he said he was coming to Pitt as a local to help bring it back to prominence. I think he was among the first to commit that year.

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  9. I’ve been reading that this happens about 30 times a year, mostly to baseball players and there is a 50% survival rate, based on how quickly CPR is done. Hopefully Damar was attended to as soon as possible and he has a conplete recovery. That looks to be the case, hopefully we hear some good news soon.

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    2. They haven’t confirmed it was from the hit to his chest. At least I have not seen that explanation. He may have had an underlying heart issue. That also happens occasionally, but we usually hear about it during summer camps in the heat. Sad no matter what the cause.

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  10. BigB, Dinosaur, I snore (resident EMTs) I’ve taken many medical courses over the years of coaching…. Each time CPR is taught differently. Question?

    What is the latest version ?? Mouth to mouth breathing? Yes or no? How many pumps on chest? Timing?

    Appreciate your answer and it may be helpful to someone on here

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    1. My Army days are in the distant past, so I do not know the answer. But, one thing I know for sure the NFL and its teams have highly qualified medical personnel on-site. The ongoing concern is that Damar has not suffered any damage to his brain that would impair full recovery. He did receive very fast treatment and is at a premier medical facility so I try to think from a positive perspective that he will overcome his terrible situation.

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    2. Dan, professionals are still trained to administer CPR with ventilations at a rate of 30-2. They have tools for ventilation without mouth to mouth contact.

      Community CPR has been taught for several years without ventilation. This change came about the time people started to become more aware of the possibility of transmission of serious diseases via bodily fluids. I don’t know that that was the reason for the change but it seems likely.

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      1. Correct that BLS/ACLS has a 30:2 compression to rescue breath. However, for laypersons, compression only CPR is taught. This was done as the rescue breaths requirement was felt to be a deterrent to people starting compressions (because people didnt want to make out with strangers). The possibility of contracting serious diseases during CPR is very low

        Im an ER physician, FWIW

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  11. My wife is a dance teacher and her new studio required her to take classes in September. They did not teach mouth to mouth.

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  12. Praying for a full recovery. Good kid, terrible to watch last night. 🙏🙏🙏

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  15. Prayers for Damar and family. Hoping and praying for a full and speedy recovery. Many thanks for the memories. Love watching you play. 🙏🙏🙏

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  18. From Pitt Public Affairs:

    January 3, 2023​

    Statement from Pitt Head Football Coach Pat Narduzzi

    “Damar Hamlin is far more than just a football player. He’s a loving son, brother and friend. Damar is a hero to thousands of Pittsburgh kids.

    “Damar, we love you. We are praying for you. Pittsburgh’s always had your back. And now it’s obvious the entire country has your back, too.”

    Liked by 3 people

  21. And btw… love that he is a local kid who chose to stay home and play for his city in front of his family. When a young man from a tough area wants to make sure he sets a good example for a younger brother… gosh, that gives one hope, doesn’t it?

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  22. I watched the Damar hit 4 times and the hit didn’t seem capable of causing the heart to stop under normal conditions. I mentioned yesterday that perhaps he had COVID at some point and his heart was affected as a result. If this is what happened then every athlete should be examined to make sure their heart is sound.

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    1. Corrotio cordis – the presumed phenomenon- occurs generally in healthy young males without pre-existing cardiac disease. A precordial impact at a specific point in the cardiac electrical cycle is thought to be the inciting event.

      As for cardiac screening, I believe Pitt screens all freshmen football players.
      There was a 4-star running back (from Ohio?) who was disqualified for either a thoracic aneurysm or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. And, I think Sean Gilbert’s kid (or nephew) was also disqualified due to cardiac studies required by Pitt. Finally, wasn’t the Virginia running back who came in with Rodney Hammond also disqualified due to a medical condition?
      Say what you want about Pitt sports, but they take exceptional care of their athletes

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Yes, I remember that RB, he was a 4* recruit too. Felt really bad for him. Everyone was saying that if he had gone to another school he may have played and who knows what may have happened. Pitt has the best medical staff in the NCAA IMO.

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    2. He took a hard shot to the chest. This is not some conspiracy theory around COVID. He took a shot to the chest and seconds later passed out with cardiac arrest.

      This angle shows it best. He took a violent shot to his chest area. May not have looked bad but it was the timing of the shot in conjunction with the shock of it. And it was harder than you realize. It caused an electrical malfunction in the heart.

      Jackagain posted this last night and everyone is reporting this is what happened …

      I know people want to make connections but it’s not a coincidence he took a shot to the chest and collapsed within seconds. It caused his heart to malfunction. One in a million shot but it happens.

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  23. Good observation VoR! It was not from a hot to the heart. He had a cardiac arrest ( not a heart attack bit difference). The NFL knows why but is covering their asses.

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  24. Prayers for the Hamlin family. I tell my grandkids all the time – “You only get one body, take care of it”.

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  25. Dan, I was thinking that it would explain some things. As Gasman mentioned, a previous heart condition would have been caught by the Pitt doctors. Recent COVID seems like a more likely explanation.

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  26. No one is covering up anything. Please don’t let this become a conspiracy theory thread. I don’t doubt the vaccine or virus have caused heart issues but he took a hard shot to the chest and then collapsed. Everyone is reporting cardiac arrest which is an electrical malfunction in the heart … a heart attack is a clogged artery from bad health or a clot. He took a shot at the exact wrong time and it triggered cardiac arrest. He wasn’t going for a run and then collapsed. He literally took a shot to the chest and seconds later his heart stops beating. If this had occurred without the hit to the chest then of course you look at the why. The why is pretty clear here.

    Again … this is a good angle for it …

    Jackagain posted this last night and this is what is being reported as happening …

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  27. So not to be insensitive, but there is a game tonight, how about a seperate thread?

    And I agree, no need for speculation or conspiracy theories. There should be a press conference by his doctors soon.

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    1. Mike has a new article scheduled for the BB game. I can’t remember if it’s scheduled for 8 or 8:30.

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  28. Troubling that they are now saying that Damar’s heart had to be resuscitated on the field and then again at the hospital. Uncle said Damar is on his stomach to try to help with fluids…. Scary…

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  29. UC Med is not doing press conferences from what I have been told and been reported by espn. The family will do that as time passes. That is telling to me.

    Gordon and Tossing – sorry, but have you considered the conspiracy theory might be what you are showing? It came from the NFL, right? I watched no less than three nationally renowned cardiologists mention that they don’t think it was what the nfl said so quickly after the occurrence and that it is way too early to say what happened and why. They mentioned underlying heart, underlying vascular, covid/booster vaxxes and the corrotio cordis. Each discounted and moved away from CC because in those instances, the recipient is usually 12-17 years old developmentally or gets hit with a very small object (baseball/hockey puck). There are no answers right now, period. Doesn’t really matter who is right about what? Everything is on the table right now. The fact that teammates, friends are not talking speaks volumes.

The best thing to do is pray, period. Pray that those giving cpr and revived him while laying flat on his back, didn’t compromise his lungs. Not a doc or EMT so I leave that to you all. Pray that the vent is very short term, due to long term complications (over a week) for infection. My sense is that he already has pneumonia. Pray hard! That’s what we can do.

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  32. Gordon and Tossing – sorry, but have you considered the conspiracy theory might be what you are showing? It came from the NFL, right? I watched no less than three nationally renowned cardiologists mention that they don’t think it was what the nfl said so quickly after the occurrence and that it is way too early to say what happened and why. They mentioned underlying heart, underlying vascular, covid/booster vaxxes and the corrotio cordis. Each discounted and moved away from CC because in those instances, the recipient is usually 12-17 years old developmentally or gets hit with a very small object (baseball/hockey puck). There are no answers right now, period. Doesn’t really matter who is right about what? Everything is on the table right now. The fact that teammates, friends are not talking speaks volumes.

    The best thing to do is pray, period. Pray that those giving cpr and revived him while laying flat on his back, didn’t compromise his lungs. Not a doc or EMT so I leave that to you all. Pray that the vent is very short term, due to long term complications (over a week) for infection. My sense is that he already has pneumonia. Pray hard! That’s what we can do.

    Above is the copied and pasted post by Huff, I found it very hard to follow in the post above.
    I have a couple questions, ]

    1st what did the NFL say “so quickly”?

    2ndThe fact that teammates, friends are not talking speaks volumes.
    What does this mean^^^? Volumes, what are any of those volumes?

    3rd, moving away from commotio cordis due to typical age of those affected 12-17, but what ages have the greatest amount of people playing where those events might happen? There are far fewer numbers after high school and massive numbers in youth leagues

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    1. Thank you for translating his comment in the box. I had to read every word before I approved. It was not an easy read using the box and slide.

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    2. I agree that much is unknown, but jumping to an NFL cover-up or covid or vax caused this are really a stretch. If it is Covid or Vax, these guys would be dropping like flies, and not just football players.

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  33. No one knows. But the jump to conspiracy theories and Covid are much less likely than a contusion to the heart at the wrong millisecond. The chest shot was much more violent than the TV angle made it appear to be. Watch the replay I posted earlier. You can see his body absorbs the impact and it jars him.

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  34. I will continue to pray for Damar, his family and the doctors at UC. I cannot imagine what his poor mother is going through. My wife and I are going to sign up for a CPR course after seeing this. We did one about 12 years ago but after seeing what happened in this instance, I feel we definitely need a refresher course.

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