WASHINGTON, D.C. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and his family met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday.
In a tweet, President Biden said:
"Damar Hamlin’s courage, resilience, and spirit inspired the American people.
And what's more: he turned recovery into action – and our country is better for it.
It was my honor to have him and his family here today."
Hamlin responded in a tweet of his own and said:
"It was a pleasure & an honor meeting you today. I know your time is precious and I wouldn’t waste a second of it! Our conversations were valuable.. #UncleJoe"
It was a pleasure & an honor meeting you today. I know your time is precious and I wouldn’t waste a second of it! Our conversations were valuable.. 🫶🏾 #UncleJoe https://t.co/Oy7KR3Lk9E
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) March 30, 2023
A day before he met with President Biden, Hamlin was in Washington, D.C. to support the "Access to AEDs Act."
According to Congressman Brian Higgins, the Access to AEDs Act would:
- Direct the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to elementary and secondary schools in partnership with nonprofit healthcare organizations.
- The grants will support the development and implementation of programs that promote access to defibrillators in schools.
- Funding can also be used to purchase and maintain AEDs, replace outdated CPR and AED equipment, and provide training to students, staff, and related sports volunteers.
- Additionally, it can be used to develop Cardiac Emergency Response Plans and assist school athletic departments in creating heart screening programs for student athletes.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field in January. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was hospitalized for just over a week.
Since then, Hamlin has launched the #3forHeart CPR Challenge in partnership with the American Heart Association which aims to promote CPR training and education, which saved his life, in an effort to save more lives.
