Source: Democrat & Chronicle
CANANDAIGUA, NY — Like many Buffalo Bills fans, Russell Lyons was glued to the TV, fearing the worst after safety Damar Hamlin scarily crumpled to the ground after a special teams tackle.
As soon became evident, the Bills safety suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle in a January 2023 Monday Night Football game. Lyons knew what needed to happen next and fortunately, it did.
Quick CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, are credited with saving not only Hamlin’s career — as fans are well aware, he’s still on the squad — but his life.
Lyons’ takeaway from the game: More people should know these lifesaving skills.
Inspired by the Hamlin story, Lyons and his son David took Bills team-sponsored CPR training and met Hamlin. Lyons walked away with kits to train others.
“I mostly felt compelled to bring that knowledge, training and overall awareness to our little city in some way,” said Lyons, and he did, leading a hands-only CPR training in his son’s class. The students, he said, were inspired. “They walked away way more comfortable knowing if they saw someone in need, they could call 911, push hard and fast on the middle of the chest and ask someone to look for an AED,” Lyons said.
Lyons, who serves as an American Heart Association ambassador, then began to line up training for fellow Canandaigua Area Soccer League youth soccer coaches.
That led to his interest in having AEDs installed in parks and securing donations to fund their purchase. Lyons is now working on getting the word out about how to use them by hosting a few free community events and partnering with the YMCA to hold CPR classes and certifications and leaning into this initiative as they share the common goal of providing healthy and lifesaving resources to the community.
