The NFL star was hospitalized Monday evening after collapsing during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Damar Hamlin is fighting for his life after suffering cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
During the first quarter of Monday's matchup, Hamlin tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, and both men appeared to be uninjured following the tackle. However, shortly after, Hamlin appeared to stumble and collapse on the field. He was swiftly attended to by medical personnel, who reportedly gave the athlete CPR on the field before ultimately transporting him to a hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.
ET spoke with Dr. Merije T. Chukumerije, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday about what could have led to the 24-year-old NFL star's cardiac arrest and what his chances of survival are following the scary incident.
"So, on the field yesterday, what we saw was a player who had a direct impact to the middle of his chest, and this is what we consider blunt trauma. And sports is one area that we see that happen often, but we also see it in everyday life," Chukumerije explains. "So, when someone has a sudden impact or blunt trauma to the chest, if it happens at a specific part of the cardiac cycle, then that can lead to a ventricular arrhythmia or an unstable heart arrhythmia, which can ultimately lead to sudden cardiac arrest and unfortunately sudden cardiac death."
As for what caused the cardiac arrest, Chukumerije said it could be a number of things.
"There are many different things that can cause cardiac arrest, and again, in sports cardiology, one of the most important things we look at are the different causes of sudden cardiac arrest, there are so many some people --- [you] may have heard of some structural problems, meaning that the heart is formed incorrectly, that's things like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or other conditions when somebody has an enlarged heart or a thick heart," he says. "There are also electrical problems with a heart that can cause someone to go into sudden cardiac arrest, these are ecthymas or ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia. People may have heard of those terms, and then there are other acquired conditions, such as trauma."
Chukumerije continues, "And this situation, I think from the limited information that we have and watching the video, it looks like the mechanism of arrest in Damar Hamlin was a direct impact to the center of his chest, which unfortunately happened at a perfect time when his heart was trying to relax, and that is what lead to the sudden cardiac arrest."
While he's currently said to be in critical condition, Jordon Rooney, the Buffalo Bills' safety’s rep told ET on Tuesday that Hamlin is "fighting."
"We don't have a specific medical update at this time. He's fighting, he's pushing through," Rooney told ET's Kevin Frazier. "He's working to get better. I think there's still a lot that that's up in the air that we can't come out publicly with a statement 'til we know what exactly is going on. It's honestly a day-by-day thing. We're just monitoring it each day to see where he's at."
As of Monday evening, his vitals were normal, and he was sedated and put on a ventilator. Tests are being done and Hamlin's family is currently taking things "minute by minute."
While Chukumerije said survival rates after performing CPR are fairly low, coming in at only 15 to 20 percent, Hamlin's young age is the best thing the doctor said the athlete has going for him.
"His young age is the best thing he has going for him, 'cause he actually has a better chance of survival because of that. And the fact that he's young and he's health. However, his young age did not have anything to do with what happened to him, and in this situation, it's likely just the bad timing of the impact to his chest, which these players put themselves at risk for each time," Chukumerije shares.
"Now, we do know that most athletes that are in professional or collegiate leagues are at the age of 18 to 35 years old, and that is a particular age group where we see the most sudden cardiac arrest occur in athletes, so yes, he fits that age range of people that are most highest risk as athletes, but his age is actually the best thing going for him as far as potential recovery," he adds.
Chukumerije is hopeful that Hamlin will not only survive but recover.
"The fact that he did subsequently get CPR, and from what we were told, that he had his rhythm restored, that also bodes well for his survival, so when we see these things that happen immediately, that is when we know whether someone is going to have a positive or negative trajectory, and thankfully from what I saw, I am hopeful that he will have a positive trajectory," Chukumerije says.
Since the medical emergency, fans have been offering support to Hamlin by donating to his The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive GoFund Me page. So far, the donations have already far surpassed its $2,500 goal with nearly $4 million raised.
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