Buffalo Bills Provide Major Medical Update to the Recovery of Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills football player who went into cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game, is showing some signs of improvement.
In a Twitter post Thursday morning, the team announced, “Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.
“We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 5, 2023
Others reported Hamlin had opened his eyes, another positive sign.
From NFL Now: #Bills safety Damar Hamlin has opened his eyes. pic.twitter.com/Obu9czCxhD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2023
Teammate Kalir Elam even tweeted that Hamlin was “awake and showing more signs of improvement.”
“Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement,” Elam posted to Twitter. “Thank you God. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!”
Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement. Thank you God. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!
— Kaiir Elam (@kaiirelam5) January 5, 2023
The 24-year-old, who plays safety, had just gotten to his feet after what appeared to be a routine tackle when he collapsed backward onto the playing field.
Medical staff gathered around the stricken player and administered CPR and oxygen. An AED, or automated external defibrillator, was used to restart his heart, the NFL told USA Today.
Since then, Hamlin had been under sedation and listed in critical condition.
Rumors, fueled by speculation about the lengthy time that emergency workers administered CPR, circulated about whether there might have been extensive brain damage as a result.
The unexpected event shocked some of the biggest, strongest athletes in the country.
The NFL took the unusual step of suspending the game, while players from both teams, many of them in tears, spontaneously gathered in an unprecedented time of prayer.
Fans and members of the media were also shaken. An ESPN announcer even bowed his head and prayed aloud on air during a live broadcast.
Hamlin had recently spoken in an interview about how quickly an injury can end an NFL player’s career.
Asked how he felt about getting to play professional football with childhood friend and teammate Dane Jackson — who had recently been briefly sidelined with a neck injury — Hamlin said, “It feels so surreal, like, I can’t even describe it, but I cherish it every second that I can.”
Damar Hamlin earlier this season… pic.twitter.com/QkK3lE3o8I
— Hunter Armor (@HunterArmor) January 3, 2023
“Every second of every day. We just had our prayer, our DB prayer we do every Wednesday. [Jackson] was next to me, and I just grabbed his hand a little bit harder, just because, you know, you never know when your last day could be that you get [to] experience something like this. I’m cherishing it every moment that I can.”
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