buffalo bill safety Damar Hamlin persistent lung damage after shock crash in game on Monday, but his condition is said to have improved slightly since Tuesday night.
Hamlin, 24, was resuscitated on the football field after he suffered a cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The incident occurred after Hamlin handled Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in a seemingly normal match.
What happened to Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin? What we know so far
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During the interception, Higgins’ right shoulder hit Hamlin in the chest. Hamlin then put his arm around Higgins’ shoulder and helmet to pull him down. Hamlin quickly stood up, seemingly adjusting the mask with his right hand, then fell back after about three seconds and lay motionless.
The Bills player remained on the field for several minutes as he received medical attention. Hamlin’s teammates, many of whom wept, shielded him from public view.
Buffalo Bills players and staff pray for Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, 2023, in Cincinnati.
Joshua A. Bickel/AP
As of Wednesday morning, Hamlin remains in critical condition, being sedated in the ICU.
The Buffalo Bills tweeted that Hamlin is expected to be “in intensive care as his healthcare team continues to monitor and treat him.”
A marketing representative and personal friend of Hamlin, Jordon Rooney, told ESPN Wednesday that the athlete is showing “Promising reads.” He did not add any specifics.
“We’re all still optimistic,” Rooney told The Associated Press by phone.
Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, said his grandson Breathing has improved since coming to the hospital.
Glenn said Hamlin is intubated but is currently on oxygen at a 50% rate of support. When he went to the hospital on Monday, the support rate was 100%.
Hamlin’s uncle told CNN that the Bills player was “upside down on belly” to help relieve the pressure on his lungs.
Glenn also told CNN that Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice, once on the field after he collapsed and again when he went to the hospital. (Rooney has since told ESPN that there have been “a number of wrong information,” and said Hamlin was only resuscitated once at Paycor Stadium.)
In an interview with NFL Total Access, Glenn said it was “a gut punch” to see the moment my nephew “died on the field and they brought him back to life.”
For now, Glenn says Hamlin’s recovery is “one day at a time.”
“They were trying to let him breathe on his own,” Glenn said. He added that the family was “really, very grateful” for the medical staff who treated Hamlin.
“I’m so grateful that he’s still here, he’s still alive and he’s still fighting,” Glenn said.
On Tuesday, Hamlin’s family released a statement to express their “sincere gratitude” for Hamlin’s broad support.
“We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans across the country,” the statement read.
Since the incident, a GoFundMe page previously set up by Hamlin to community toy drive has raised more than $6.2 million in donations, as of Wednesday morning. The GoFundMe page was created by Hamlin with an initial goal of $2,500 to support his mother’s daycare program in Pittsburgh.
Monday’s match between Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals takes place postpone. The NFL hasn’t made any announcements about a possible resumption of the game at a later date.
Hamlin was drafted by the Bills in the sixth round in 2021. He played 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter in 2022 after Micah Hyde missed the season due to injury.
– wi-th file from The Associated Press
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