Reactions Pour in Regarding Damar Hamlin's Health Update Following Critical Condition Diagnosis

The NFL star is awake and holding hands with loved ones.

Damar Hamlin is awake in a Cincinnati hospital. 

The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills player needed CPR after collapsing on the field during a Monday night football game on Jan. 2, 2023, against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The game was cut short after he was rushed to the hospital, leaving family members, teammates, and fans worried about what the outcome would be, especially upon learning the athlete was in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest.

Today, the Bills have announced some "remarkable" news that everyone has been hoping for!

The team's official Twitter account released a statement this morning, writing, “Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," adding, “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress. We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”

Fellow teammates, football players/teams, and others have come together over the past couple of days to show their support for the Bills safety. 

Bills cornerback, Kaiir Elam wrote, "Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement. Thank you God. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!"

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, A.J. Brown wrote, "Despite the horrific incident, You got to love the world coming together praying for Damar. This is what the world need. Continue to spread love and praying. God is everything #DamarHamlinStrong"

Team reporter for the Buffalo Bills, Maddy Glab, reported that Hamlin is communicating through writing, and asked who won the game, to which the doctors responded with, "You won. You've won the game of life."

Many people are sending praise to the Bills assistant athletic trainer, Denny Kellington, for his timely response to the incident, including NFL Reporter Albert Breer.

The Jacksonville Jaguars also showed their support by lighting up their stadium in the colors of the Buffalo Bills team.

Monday's game was postponed and will not resume this week. The league has still not decided whether to continue it at all, a spokesperson said Thursday, per CNN.

As of writing, Hamlin is on a ventilator unable to speak, as he still has a breathing tube in. “There are many, many steps still ahead of him," University of Cincinnati Health Dr. Timothy Pritts said, adding, "We sort of view the ventilator as an aid for him as he needs it. And so you know, after the initial event, we were supporting him on the ventilator 100%. And what our goal really is for liberation from mechanical ventilation is to gradually decrease the amount of support and let him pick up the difference and when we reach 0% support, breathing tube comes out, and we define that as success."

We're hoping for a speedy recovery for Damar and sending our support to him and his teammates!