BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) — While Bills player Damar Hamlin recovers in Buffalo, News 4 met with a Buffalo community leader who was also rescued by CPR. She was revived by a New York State Senator and sustained by the power of prayer.
“It was like someone was caressing my soul and encouraging me, ‘Just don’t give up.’ It was an amazing, amazing feeling,” Marnetta Malcolm recalled.
That feeling – the whispering of prayers from those who visited her bedside.
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Malcolm spent three days at Buffalo General in May 2022 after suffering cardiac arrest.
“I’m such an energetic person, so I can’t even imagine my heart stopping for a minute,” Malcolm said. “And then to make it stop for ten minutes.”
Growing up on Buffalo’s East Side, she nurtured Buffalo and those around her. When 10 people were killed in the horrifying Jefferson Avenue Tops shooting, she was heartbroken to learn she grew up with many of the victims.
“All of that was amazing to see day by day and I thought, ‘Well, we’re going to do something nice for Zaire because his birthday is coming up,’ and we’re going to plan this party,” she said.
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A birthday celebration for a survivor of the Tops Markets shooting – Zaire Goodman.
Malcolm helped Goodman’s mother, Zeneta Everhart, plan the celebration at Canisius College.
“I remember driving to the party. And the next thing I know it was Tuesday. They said I went into cardiac arrest,” Malcolm told News 4. “They said Senator Tim Kennedy, Tearah Massenburg and Mo Sumbundu performed CPR and saved my life.”
“And in order for me to survive, I was shocked three times, three people worked on me. When I woke up it was three days later. And I will say three is a mighty number that is the power of God.”
Zaire’s mother is an employee of Senator Kennedy, who was present.
Malcolm says calls to 9-1-1 were hung up by an operator.
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Kennedy, who has a medical background, stepped in.
“We were turning on and off, one of us looking at Marnetta’s head and neck to keep her airway open, while the others were turning on and off and doing chest compressions,” Senator Kennedy told News 4.
Malcolm has made a full recovery and is once again serving the community she loves. She believes her cardiac arrest was caused by stress. She has been praying hard for Damar Hamlin and rejoices that he is using his platform forever.
Malcolm added that she is in frequent contact with Senator Kennedy.
The two agree that CPR is a skill everyone should learn because you never know when you might be able to save a life.
Patrick Ryan is an award-winning reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2020. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
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