In the wake of Damar Hamlin’s sudden and shocking collapse during Monday Night Football, many Americans are wondering how a seemingly routine tackle led a 24-year-old athlete to collapse.
Cardiologists across the country believe he may have suffered from commotio cordis, the condition is a rare phenomenon.
The American Heart Association states the majority of deaths from the ‘sudden blunt impact to the chest’ happen in sports, mostly baseball, and overwhelmingly young men.
Hayden Walton, unfortunately, fit all the criteria for the conditions most likely victims.
"Hayden was the most loving, caring 13-year-old little boy that anybody could come across," said Mom, Carleen. "He always had a smile on his face."
The 13-year-old from Winslow loved drag racing, boy scouts and baseball.
He was playing his favorite sport on June 1, 2011 when, seconds after being hit in the chest with a pitch, he collapsed and passed away.
Doctors told his family, the healthy teenager died of commotio cordis.
When Carleen heard about Hamlin's collapse and watched the video online, she feared it was exactly what happened to her son.
“All I could see was my son Hayden falling to the ground,” said Carleen. “And my heart immediately went out to his mom and immediately re-lived everything in those split seconds.”
“It just opens everything back up from 11 years ago,” said Hayden’s Dad, Doug, who said he still can’t bring himself to watch the video.
The parents say they have been praying for the NFL safety and his family ever since they learned of Hamlin’s collapse.
“2:50 We have firsthand knowledge of what his family is going through. And it's horrible,” said Doug.
“And me as a mom, I just want to reach out and hold her,” added Carleen.
Ever since the tragedy rocked their family and robbed them of their precious son, the family has been working to ensure no other child dies the same way in their community or Arizona.
“At the time, we didn't know anything about Commotio Cordis, we had never heard of it until it actually happened to Hayden,” said Carleen. “So that was our biggest goal – to make parents and everyone in the world know these AED devices that could potentially save a life.”
There is now a defibrillator in every dugout at Hayden Walton Sports Complex.
“The Waltons, through the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a couple of organizations within Winslow, were able to secure some AED's that we keep on our field,” said Jimmy Curnutte, President of the Winslow Little League.
“There's also one readily available for every bus when the sports teams go out of town,” said Carleen, who also mentioned chest guards are available and used by players in Winslow.
As for Hayden, he is still wearing his Angels jersey, just playing with different teammates.
“So watching his life be taken, doing something he absolutely had passion for was very, very difficult. But that's what he loved to do,” said Carleen.
You can learn more about Commotio Cordis on the American Heart Association's website.
