Damar Hamlin’s inspiring story added another chapter this week with a new law to improve access to resources for heart health in the United States.
Nearly two years after the Buffalo Bills safety suffered cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game, President Joe Biden has signed the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, and Research, and AED Training in the Schools Act (HEARTS ACT) into law.
The HEARTS Act, advocated for and worked on by Hamlin alongside Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), was officially signed on Monday.
“It’s super dope, man. Shout out to Senator Schumer. Shout out to the Smart Hearts Coalition. Shout out to the American Heart Association and to my Chasing M’s foundation,” Hamlin told ESPN when the Senate passed the bill unanimously on Dec. 10. “We all came together to make some legacy off the field. I always wanted to, in my life, leave a legacy on the field, but to have a legacy and have meaning and purpose off the field.”
Hamlin, 26, has started 13 games this season for the AFC East champion Bills (12-3), registering 83 tackles and two interceptions.
Hamlin had his heartbeat restored on the field in Cincinnati after suffering cardiac arrest during a game against the Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.
–Field Level Media