Damar Hamlin’s family thanked fans on Tuesday after the player went into cardiac arrest on the football field on Monday night.
Damar Hamlin’s most recent injury status
UPDATE (Jan. 8): Damar Hamlin is breathing on his own and speaking to family, physicians and teammates.
UPDATE (Jan. 6): Doctors said Thursday that Damar Hamlin is awake in a Cincinnati hospital, neurologically sound, and moving his hands and feet. And his first thought upon waking up?
According to Dr. Timothy Pritts, vice chair for clinical operations at UC Health, Hamlin scribbled on a clipboard. “Did we win?”
“Yes, Damar, you won. You’ve won the game of life,” Pritts said at a news conference in Cincinnati Thursday afternoon, paraphrasing one of his medical partners’ responses.
According to Jordon Rooney’s statement, Hamlin is receiving “exceptional care” at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and he requests continued prayers as his condition remains critical.
Announcement directly from Damar’s family: pic.twitter.com/MdzgxUmVfg
— Jordon Rooney (@jordonr) January 3, 2023
“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,”
About 16 hours after he suffered cardiac arrest when he collapsed on the field after making a tackle and momentarily getting to his feet, Hamlin remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, according to a statement from the Bills.
Fans of both teams gathered outside the hospital overnight, and fans in Buffalo held a prayer vigil outside the Bills’ home stadium.
According to Fox News, fans have donated nearly $5 million to Hamlin’s charity toy drive fund.
“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 a part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach Taylor and the Bengals for everything they’ve done.”
The family promised to keep fans updated on Hamlin’s condition, which was still critical as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Bills. He remains in intensive care but is sedated.
Hamlin’s family has been extremely supportive and “remarkable” over the last 24 hours.
“I mean, they … are a tremendous group of people,” Rooney said on Good Morning America. “They’re strong. I mean, they’re supportive. They’re obviously … worried — Damar was very close with his family.”
