In another encouraging update, Damar shared his first social media post where he thanked fans for their 'overwhelming love' following his horrifying cardiac arrest mid-game.
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| Image Credit: Shutterstock |
Damar Hamlin released his first statement following his terrifying on-field collapse during the Jan. 2 game between his Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. Damar, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest after tackling Bengals Tee Higgins and was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition. On Saturday, Jan. 7, Hamlin spoke for the first time since the event, making an emotional statement on his Instagram.
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| Damar Hamlin (Shutterstock) |
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much,” he wrote alongside a photo album of himself. “The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter of the Bills-Bengals game. Damar tackled Tee Higgins in what appeared to be a normal collision. Higgins led with his right shoulder, notes ESPN, which collected with Hamlin’s chest. After the hit, Damar stood up and stayed on his feet for three seconds before collapsing to the ground. Athletic trainers rushed to his aid and began to administer CPR. Hamlin received oxygen and was taken off the field 16 minutes after he collapsed.
“If there appeared to be head trauma, then that would open the door to other things,” Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, told the Los Angeles Times about Hamlin’s injury. While Dr. Tadwalkar was careful to not attempt to diagnose the Bills player from afar, the medical professional said the damage has the hallmarks of catastrophic chest trauma.