Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin met with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday as part of his tour of Washington D.C. A statement from the White House confirmed that President Biden with Hamlin to thank him for his “courage, resilience, and can-do spirit” following his cardiac arrest on January 2 during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals as well as his work to promote new legislation to make life-saving technology more available.
“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,” Biden wrote on Twitter. Hamlin also took to Twitter to thank the president for hosting him.
Since suffering cardiac arrest, Hamlin has been regularly consulting with specialists. After acknowledging that using an Automated External Defibrillator saved his life, Hamlin has dedicated himself to educating others about the importance of this device and other life-saving techniques including CPR.
Hamlin’s visit to the White House comes after he met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to promote legislation that would increase the availability of AEDs and related training to school campuses.
