Bills safety Damar Hamlin made an official trip to the White House to meet President Joe Biden in his inspirational tour of Washington D.C.
From one red, white, and blue family to another, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin met with President Joe Biden on Thursday as part of his tour of Washington this offseason.
Hamlin’s story united the NFL earlier this year and had such a profound impact on the sport that he and his family got to spend some face time with the President of the United States. Not even the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the Super Bowl, have been invited to the White House so far in 2023.
Whereas the Chiefs won a glittering trophy, Hamlin won something much more valuable: the hearts of the American people. The 25-year-old safety suffered cardiac arrest during the Bills’ regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals in early January;. Hamlin was resuscitated on the field and transported to a nearby hospital as the world held its breath hoping for his swift recovery.
Nearly three months later, Hamlin appears healthy as ever shaking hands with President Biden in the oval office, and the President himself tweeted about how honored he was to meet Hamlin in person:
Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin steps foot into the White House, shakes hands with President Biden
Prior to his meeting with the President, Hamlin met with members of the Congress on Wednesday to discuss a bill that would increase access to defibrillators across the nation’s education systems.
A defibrillator, after all, helped saved Hamlin’s life on that fateful night, and thanks to a group of efficient, well-trained, and knowledgeable first responders, Hamlin can continue to live a full and healthy life and possibly even resume playing football.
Hamlin’s scary incident shone a light on the honorable and selfless work that EMTs and CPR specialists do on a daily basis, and supplying schools with more life-saving resources like defibrillators should be something everybody can get behind regardless of one’s political stance.
As for Hamlin’s personal journey, Hamlin has publicly said that he wants to get back on the field but Bills general manager Brandon Beane hasn’t yet given him the green light to rejoin the team in 2023. That’s up to the doctors and the ongoing progression of Hamlin’s recovery.
In the meantime, Hamlin and his family can soak in the glory of these presidential meetings and hope his story makes a far-reaching impact in the evolving world of medicine and technology.
