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Buffalo Bills logo courtesy of Pegula Sports and Entertainment.
Buffalo Bills logo courtesy of Pegula Sports and Entertainment.

Buffalo Bills: Damar Hamlin able to communicate verbally

UPDATED

Wed, Jan 4th 2023 05:45 pm

Hamlin continues to show improvement

5th UPDATE: On Saturday evening, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin tweeted the following:

“Putting love into the world comes back 3xs as much… thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed. This will make me stronger on the road to recovery, keep praying for me!”

On Instagram, Hamlin shared:

“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x's as much. … 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!  #3strong”

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4th UPDATE: On Saturday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills shared:

“Per the physicians at UC Medical Center, Damar is making continued progress in his recovery yet remains in critical condition. He continues to breathe on his own and his neurological function is excellent.”

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3rd UPDATE: At 10:10 a.m. Friday, the Buffalo Bills offered this encouraging update on Damar Hamlin:

“Per the physicians at UCMC, Damar’s breathing tube was removed overnight. He continues to progress remarkably in his recovery. His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team.”

Fifteen minutes later, the team shared:

“Damar Hamlin FaceTimed into our team meeting today to talk to players and coaches. What he said to the team: ‘Love you boys.’ ”

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2ND UPDATE: On Thursday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills shared this update on Damar Hamlin:

“Damar Hamlin is now able to communicate through writing and asked the doctors who won the game Monday night.

“The doctors answered, ‘Yes, Damar, you won. You won the game of life.’ ”

Also: UC Health Physicians: Damar Hamlin is awake and responsive; Bills medical staff helped save his life

Hamlin’s GoFundMe, meanwhile, has now surpassed $7.5 million.

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UPDATE: At 10:28 a.m. Thursday, the Buffalo Bills tweeted this update on Damar Hamlin:

“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. 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.”

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On Wednesday afternoon, @BuffaloBills tweeted the following update regarding Damar Hamlin:

“Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight. He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him.”

As Hamlin has been receiving care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, his GoFundMe fundraiser, The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive, has received more than $6.6 million in donations. Hamlin’s original campaign goal was $2,500.

The web page states, in part, “This fundraiser was initially established to support a toy drive for Damar’s community, sponsored by the Chasing M’s Foundation. However, it has received renewed support in light of Damar’s current battle and we can’t thank all of you enough. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.

“As representatives of Damar, the team at Jaster Athletes posted the fundraiser updates and will work with the Hamlin family, The Chasing M's Foundation, and the GoFundMe team to ensure the safe delivery of funds.

“Damar created The Chasing M’s Foundation to use as a vehicle to bring lasting impact to his community. The foundation supports toy drives, back-to-school drives, kids camps, and more. We're hopeful about Damar's future involvement in disbursing the incredibly generous contributions.”

Meanwhile, #PrayersForDamar continues to trend on Twitter.

In the first quarter of the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals “Monday Night Football” game, Hamlin fell to the field, at 8:55 p.m., right after making a tackle.

According to the team, Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. “His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment.”

At 10:01 p.m., the National Football League announced the game was postponed.

On Tuesday afternoon, @NFL tweeted, “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.

“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.

“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date.

“The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule.

“We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”

On social media, Hamlin’s family shared, “On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country.

“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 Taylor and the Bengals for everything they've done.

“Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep Damar in your prayers.”

Hamlin, of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Prior to that, he attended Pittsburgh, where he earned All-ACC Second-Team honors following a standout 2020 season.

The 6-foot safety is in his second year with the Bills.

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