Damar Hamlin Shares Photos from His Hospitalization on Anniversary of His On-Field Cardiac Arrest

Hamlin returned to the NFL this season, less than a year after he was resuscitated on field

A year after his on-field cardiac arrest, Damar Hamlin is reflecting on his recovery.

In a new Instagram post on Wednesday, the 25-year-old Buffalo Bills safety shared two never-before-seen photos of himself recovering last year in a Cincinnati hospital bed after he had collapsed on the field during a Monday Night Football broadcast.

Hamlin had to be resuscitated on the field after he fell to the ground early in the first quarter of the Jan. 2, 2023 game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he spent more than a week recovering.

On Instagram, the NFL safety shared a selfie he took during his stay at the hospital, as well as a second photograph showing him in a hospital bed and holding up his two fingers in a peace sign.

“God’s Child,” Hamlin wrote in the post’s caption. “1 year later.”

Related: Damar Hamlin Gets Heart Tattoo to Mark 1 Year After On-Field Cardiac Arrest: 'Locked in'

Hamlin also marked the one-year anniversary of his cardiac arrest with a new tattoo earlier this week. The tattoo is located on the back of his neck and shows a pair of hands making the shape of a heart with an electrocardiogram in between them.

The image of the tattoo was first shared on Instagram by celebrity tattoo artist Alexander Brenes.

"1 year later still locked inn 🫶🏽,” Brenes wrote in the post’s caption. Hamlin responded in the comments with an emoji of two hands forming a heart.

Related: A Timeline of Damar Hamlin's Recovery After Cardiac Arrest

The Bills safety became one of the most inspirational figures in sports after the early 2023 incident, telling an audience at the NFL Honors awards last February that he believes he now has a newfound "purpose greater than any game in this world" to raise awareness about heart health.

Last March, the Bills safety met with President Joe Biden at the White house and later appeared in front of Congress to speak in support of the Access to AEDs Act, which aims to help place more defibrillators in schools.

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Hamlin was also able to return to football this past year, rejoining his Bills teammates on the sideline and playing in his first game since his cardiac arrest during the team’s preseason opener last August.

He saw his first regular season action on Oct. 1 when the safety was used on the Bills special team plays, marking a gradual return to his former role on defense.

The Bills are in playoff contention, meaning Hamlin may see more opportunities beyond this Sunday’s regular season finale. But regardless of what happens on the field, Hamlin has said last year’s incident has given him a new perspective for everything that takes place off of it.

"I feel like this whole situation, everything that happened to me, was all a part of a bigger plan and a bigger picture," Hamlin said during an interview last year with the American Heart Association.

"God [has] seen that my purpose is bigger than just football. Way bigger than just football," he added. "I always knew that. I've always felt like I was more than just an athlete and a football player and he gave me a purpose and something to stand for that's way bigger than just a game."

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