Damar Hamlin’s recovery is in a positive direction
Medics arrived on scene to transfer Hamlin for further medical help. Fans were unsure of what to do while his teammates kneeled on the ground praying for his health.
January 20, 2023
On Jan. 2, 24-year-old Buffalo Bills football player, Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after a tackle on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals. After collapsing, Hamlin received CPR which lasted a long nine minutes. Later, he was transferred to Buffalo General Medical Center. The game was suspended for two days.
His first two days in the ICU were filled with unknowing anxiety from family, friends and fans with doctors not seeing any brain activity and receiving 100% oxygen. However, once Hamlin became conscious he took on recovery with the help of doctors by slowly coming off of oxygen, and talking to his family on the phone and more.
It was not until Jan. 11 when he passed a series of tests and was able to return home to his family.
“I was deeply sympathetic to his situation and felt horribly for him and his family, it is something that could happen to anyone. It is very rare but is always a risk associated with playing the game,” said Marty Kaminski, a junior on the Varsity Football team.
Hamlin’s medical scare on the field affected the entire NFL community. All 32 teams honored him by reading a moment of support or highlighting the number three on the 30-yard line.
Multiple prayers were shared for Hamlin by teammates and coaches from the Bills, along with other NFL teams. Multiple hashtags such as “PrayforDamar3” were spread all over social media.
Hamlin’s former highschool teammate and Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II honored Hamlin on Jan. 9 during the Colts vs. Texans game. After a successful interception against the Texans, Thomas II ran to the 30-yard line and pointed to the three in honor of Hamlin.
“It was kind of a spiritual awakening, really, for me,” said Bills quarterback Josh Allen on “Kyle Brandt’s Basement” podcast. “I know for a lot of other people that maybe didn’t have the strongest belief, or wasn’t the biggest [or] strongest Christian followers.”
Whether Hamlin will ever play in the NFL again is unknown. Whether he chooses to continue his football career depends on his medical situation. Nevertheless, he is supported by his teammates and fans across the country.
