Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin in critical condition after cardiac arrest
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin went under a frightening situation on NFL’s game night on Monday. The football star is now in critical condition after suffering from cardiac arrest. Hamlin’s team was up against the Cincinnati Bengals when he suddenly collapsed on the field.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Damar Hamlin in 2021. He was from McKees Rock, Pennsylvania. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Damar has made a name for himself off the field through his charitable efforts in his hometown. Since before he signed his first NFL contract, Damar has been hosting annual Christmas toy drives for the less fortunate children in his hometown.
Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
On Tuesday, Troy Vincent, NFL’s senior vice president of football operations, had a conference call with the media to speak about Damar Hamlin. During the conference call, Vincent mentioned that players, coaches, and Commissioner Roger Goodell were shaken by what they saw Damar go through.
Vincent said during the call, “I’ve never seen anything like it since I’ve been playing.”
The 24-year-old Buffalo Bulls star fell to the ground after clashing with an opponent during the first quarter. The4 incident prompted medical staff at the stadium to rush onto the field and perform the emergency treatment. Hamlin lay motionless while medics worked for more than 30 minutes before taking him to the hospital.
The thoughts and prayers of all of Bills Mafia are supporting you, Damar. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/lDWNAOEPX4
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
The NFL decided to suspend the game roughly an hour later in light of the incident. His team later put out a statement confirming Damar’s cardiac arrest, with members of the medical staff stating that his heartbeat had been restored on the field.
Damar Hamlin collapse
A tweet from his team confirmed that he is currently sedated and undergoing further tests and treatment. These unexpected events have stirred up a wealth of support for Damar and refocused many people’s attention on the dangerous aspects of America’s favorite sport as it moves toward its end-of-season climax.
Damar had been tackling Tee Higgins when his helmet made contact with Damar’s chest. Damar attempted to get back on his feet but instead fell onto his back. Players from both teams emerged from the sidelines and huddled around him as emergency personnel provided CPR and oxygen. The atmosphere was tense.
Breaking: Bills-Bengals has been postponed by the NFL and will not resume tonight. pic.twitter.com/mxb1zcw6M2
— ESPN (@espn) January 3, 2023
Many of those in attendance were kneeling and saying prayers. While others were overcome with emotion. According to reports, TV coverage abruptly went away from the scene. In addition, the Cincinnati crowd stayed silent during the whole incident.
Hamlin’s representative, Jordon Rooney, tweeted. “His vitals are back to normal, and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them.”
Commentators said the fact that gameplay had stalled was a sign of the severity of Damar’s injury, which is rare in the NFL. Injuries are part of the game, but they don’t typically cause entire games to be suspended unless it’s incredibly severe.
NFL League support
The two teams vying for the primetime Monday night spot in the penultimate week of the NFL’s regular season are sure to create a highly anticipated matchup. Both teams stand out as Super Bowl contenders.
Sports fans have now raised over $3.5 million for Damar Hamlin’s charity, with over 142,000 individuals donating. pic.twitter.com/hEbVp0lpB6
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 3, 2023
Moreover, the NFL players’ association wrote, “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar’s health and well-being.”
Damar Hamlin’s tragic collapse on Monday initiated urgent action to help a Cincinnati toy drive he had been supporting. A GoFundMe page backed by Damar has raised nearly $3m. In addition, Cincinnati buildings lit up in blue in Damar’s honor, further showing the impact and reach of his charitable attitude and generous spirit.
In recent years, the safety of American football has been heavily in discussion. Much of the debates revolve primarily around concussion-related risks that players face. Studies involving postmortem examination of CTE patients exposed an alarming pattern of head trauma leading to neurological damage.
Although there is sparse research looking into the prevalence of heart disease in former athletes, Hamlin’s case has brought cardiac risk to public attention.
