On January 2nd, Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety, was struck in the chest by Bengel's receiver Tee Higgins. Damar went into cardiac arrest and was sedated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for two days until being transferred to a hospital in Buffalo, New York. Since he has been woken up and under intensive care, doctors have found no signs of permanent damage. Damar has undergone multitudes of neurological, physical, and respiratory tests to ensure his safe recovery. He was discharged and moved back to his home on January 11th to recover with the support of his family.
Damar Hamlin is recovering remarkably well and is hopeful to be back with his teammates soon. On January 14th, he was seen happily reuniting with his teammates at the Bills facility for the first time since his hospitalization. Before the Bills played the Miami Dolphins, Hamlin tweeted, “My heart is with my guys as they compete today! Nothing I want more than to be out there with them”. Although Hamlin can not be on the field, he celebrated the 34-31 win against the Dolphins with the team through social media.
On January 22nd, the Bills played the Bengals in the A.F.C. divisional round game. Although the Bills lost 10-27, the team expressed gratitude for Hamlin’s recovery and attendance at the game. Hamlin spoke out on the team's social media platforms by posting a thank you video for his fans, teammates, and family to commemorate the end of a challenging season.
Although his recovery has been tough, he feels it is essential to use this incident to give back to his community. Since Hamlin's recovery journey has started, his GoFundMe has raised over $8.6 million to support youth sports and education. Hamlin is also selling T-shirts, picturing his hands in a heart shape to raise money for the University of Cincinnati Medical Center which treated him after his collapse.
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