Damar Hamlin, a 24-year-old American football player in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills suffered cardiac arrest during the Monday night football game in the Paycor Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals. He collapsed on the field during the first quarter soon after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin originally got back up on his feet after the hit, but seconds later collapsed to the ground. Following this is when Hamlin went into Cardiac Arrest. Where his heart stopped for a few moments.  

Hamlin’s heart was revived twice during that night. Once when he collapsed on the field and another when he was being rushed to the Us Medical Center. It is said he is sedated and currently in critical condition.  It has been said by Hamlin’s uncle Glen that he has had no history of heart issues and that this sudden cardiac arrest was completely unexpected. “I just want to express my gratitude to the medical staff that was on hand,” Glen said. “If not for them, my nephew probably wouldn’t be here, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. We thank them.” It has been difficult for Hamlin’s family however Glen has also stated that Hamlin is “trending upwards in a positive way.”  

The NFL has stated that the game between the Bills and Bengals will not be resuming this week, as the game came to an obvious pause after this incident. “The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association,” says the NFL’s official statement. “After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.” On January 3rd however, the NFL also stated they do not plan on altering the game schedule for the upcoming weekend. Which will be the final stage for regular season level games. 

Hamlin’s family has been very grateful for all the support from the public and has been very outspoken about this. “On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time,” the families statement reads. “We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country.” Says the family, “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 part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach (Zac) Taylor and the Bengals for everything they’ve done. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep Damar in your prayers. We will release updates as soon as we have them.” 

Damar Hamlin has been a parents dream for a long time. When he was senior  he was rewarded the class AAA Defensive Player of the Year Reward. He was also rewarded #1 player in the state of Pennsylvania, and received a plethora of scholarship offers. He had started a toy drive while in college. This toy drive started with an end goal of 2,500 dollars. With Damar being in the hospital, fans around the world have wanted to help him in anyway possible. As of January 12th 2023, Hamlin’s gofundme has reached 8.7 million dollars. (https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive)

Damar Hamlin was recently discharged out of the Buffalo Hospital. After a week of being in a critical situation, he’s finally allowed to go home with his family and is in a good condition. The NFL did promise Damar to pay him the rest of his contract while still int the hospital.