Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin remains in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack during his side’s NFL encounter with Cincinnati Bengals on Monday (January 2).
The 24-year-old safety had to be resuscitated twice after collapsing on the field after tackling opposition receiver Tee Higgens in the first quarter. He managed to get up briefly before falling backwards to the ground and laying motionless.
Hamlin received on-field medical attention for more than 30 minutes before being taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The Bills confirmed he had suffered a cardiac arrest and said that his heartbeat was restored on the field on Monday.
Hamlin’s uncle Dorrian Glenn revealed that it has been a heartbreaking time for his family, who have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for his nephew. He told CNN: “It’s tremendous to see the love and support there is for him – it’s truly amazing.
“It was truly scary seeing what we saw yesterday. I’ve been up for 24 hours – it is good to support my nephew and be by his side.
“His heart had went out so they had to resuscitate him twice. They resuscitated him on the field before they brought him to the hospital and then they resuscitated him a second time when they got him to the hospital.
“They sedated him just to give a better chance for him to just continue to heal better. We are just taking it day by day.
“Right now they’ve got him on a ventilator. They are trying to get him to breathe on his own.”
Hamlin’s family added: “On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country.
“We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar.
“We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organisation and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach Taylor and the Bengals for everything they've done. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.
“Please keep Damar in your prayers. We will release updates as soon as we have them.”
On Twitter, the Bills said: "Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals."
“His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”
Hamlin only joined the Bills in 2021 when he was drafted from the University of Pittsburgh. He has drawn praise for hosting annual Christmas toy drives in his hometown since before he was a paid athlete.
By Tuesday night, a community toy drive organised by Hamlin on GoFundMe had surged to more than $5.4 million in donations. His stated goal was just $2,500.
Bills fans and Bengals fans have since gathered on a corner about a block from the local hospital’s emergency room following the incident. Doctors say his vitals are “back to normal” and are running tests on Hamlin to see what caused the sudden collapse.
Players on both teams were visibly stunned by what had happened and many were in tears on the field. The game was postponed by the NFL.
Higgens, the player who was tackled by Hamlin, led the outpouring of well wishes for the young player, tweeting that he “prays Hamlin will pull through”. He said: “My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIslandthe Hamlin Family.
“I’m praying that you pull through bro. Love.”
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