NFL star Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest when the Buffalo Bills played against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. As traumatic as that scene was, the news coming from Hamlin’s camp in the last 24 hours is that the player has shown “remarkable improvement” and is “neurologically intact.”
Making Steady Progress
After collapsing on the field in Cincinnati, Hamlin was immediately taken to the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and has been there since. Doctors now say that Hamlin started communicating by writing.
Dr Timothy Pritts said that the player asked him who won the Bills-Bengals game. However, the doctor told him he won – by winning the game of life.
Hamlin is attached to a ventilator that helps him breathe. In their latest update, the Bills said that he appeared to be neurologically intact. The Bills, who said they were very grateful for all the messages of support they have received added that Hamlin’s lungs continued to heal and he was making steady progress.
Kaiir Elam broke the news of his teammate’s improvement on Twitter. He was slightly faster than the official announcement released by the Bills and wrote “Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement. Keep the prayers coming, please.”
Ron Butler, Hamlin’s agent, also shared positive news about the player and said he was awake and holding hands with the family members that were at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Fighting for His Life on the Field for 30 Minutes
Hamlin collapsed on the field after he tackled Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills safety received medical care on the field for 30 minutes and was resuscitated once, according to Jordon Rooney, a close friend of the player.
Hamlin received support from fellow players and fans, and a GoFundMe page for a toy drive that he launched collected more than US$7 million. Both Tom Brady and Russell Wilson donated money to the cause.
Hamlin is playing his second season as a Bills player after being drafted into the NFL in 2021 from the University of Pittsburgh.
As for the Bills – Bengals game, it is postponed at the moment and the NFL will inform the teams if and when it will take place.
