On behalf of the Matthew Mangine Jr. Foundation (MMJF), we would like to express our sincere empathy for the events that occurred during the Bengals vs. Bills football game on Monday night at Paycor Stadium. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Damar Hamlin and his entire family.

This occurrence shows the importance of preparedness for a catastrophic event. It’s not a matter of if something will happen, it’s a matter of when.

MMJF has been on a mission for the past two and a half years to promote awareness, education, and medical safety measures of all cardiac related episodes for competitive youth and high school sports. This includes stressing the importance of having accurate Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and implementing them in a timely manner. It also includes efforts to expand the availability of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) to youth and high school sports teams and organizations. The goal is to safeguard athletes by supplying teams with knowledge and equipment to deliver immediate medical attention, prior to EMS arrival.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death among youth athletes. After Hamlin’s collapse, we should all ask what is being done at every level of sports to care for athletes when an emergency arises.

You only have one shot to save a life, and every second counts.