In a recent article at The Players’ Tribune, Jessica Pegula wrote about her mother, Buffalo Bills co-owner and president Kim Pegula, who remains in recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home in June of 2022.
Kim Pegula during the Buffalo Bills vs. Washington Football Team game in September 2021 Photo Credit: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Jessica Pegula, who is currently the No. 4 ranked women’s tennis player in the world, wrote that her Mom still suffers from memory loss and other side effects due to the medical episode. She also pointed to her sister, Kelly, as being the one who administered life-saving CPR when she found their mother unresponsive.
It was the first time that the details surrounding Kim Pegula’s health scare had been publicly addressed specifically. The Buffalo Bills had previously stated in June 2022 that she was progressing from an unspecified medical incident. However, no one associated with the franchise offered any further information from there.
Jessica Pegula Photo Credit: Pulv, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
That was, until recently.
Jessica Pegula decided that it was time to go on record and inform the public of exactly what was going on.
“My mom was asleep when my dad woke up to her going into cardiac arrest and she was unresponsive for quite a while,” Pegula relayed. “My sister gave her CPR until the ambulance arrived. She saved her life. Even though she doesn’t like to take credit for this terrible situation, she absolutely saved her life, followed by the critical job performed by the paramedics who arrived and were able to restore a heartbeat.”
Jessica Pegula at the 2016 Citi Open Photo Credit: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
She later provided an update on how her mom is doing now, “My mom is still in recovery and although it is the same answer every time someone asks me, it is true, she is improving every day.”
Pegula added, “She is dealing with significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues. She can read, write, and understand pretty well, but she has trouble finding the words to respond. It is hard to deal with and it takes a lot of patience to communicate with her, but I thank God every day that we can still communicate with her, at all. The doctors continue to be blown away by her recovery, considering where she started, and her determination is the driving force of that.”
Kim Pegula via Buffalo Bills YouTube
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This is a particularly sensitive and scary issue in Buffalo, as Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during Buffalo’s Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game, as well as the Monday Night Football broadcast, came to a screeching halt, before finally being canceled altogether.
Hamlin is currently recovering from the incident, and a representative of the family has said that he is still in the midst of a long rehabilitation process.
“Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly to ensure there are no setbacks or after effects,” Jordon Rooney told the Associated Press. “Though he is able to visit the team’s facility, Damar is not in a position to travel often, and requires additional rest to help his body heal.”
Needless to say, the nature of both of these occurrences, surrounding the same franchise, has many fans in New York State and around the NFL wondering what exactly is going on. The question seems to be a simple one: How does this happen to people who are so young, and in such relatively good shape?
Kim Pegula, 53, is the Co-Owner of the Buffalo Bills with her husband Terry, as well as the President/CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment. She is a native of South Korea, having moved to the US upon being adopted in 1974. She is an alumnus of Houghton College.
According to reports, Pegula had shown no signs of heart problems, nor had she complained about any pain or discomfort, which adds even more mystery to her entire situation. It seems to have struck the formerly outgoing owner suddenly, inexplicably, and from out of nowhere. There are no plans for her to return to her roles with either the Bills or the NHL’s Sabres.
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