Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is communicating in writing from his hospital bed at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he is being treated for a neck injury.
After waking up on Wednesday, one of the first questions he asked was who had won the Bills’ pivotal game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dr. Timothy Pritts clarified at a news conference Thursday that Hamlin still has a breathing tube assisting him with ventilation, and so is unable to speak.
“When he asked, ‘Did we win?’ the answer is, ‘Yes, Damar, you won. You’ve won the game of life,'” said Pritts, the Division Chief of General Surgery at UC Health. “That’s probably the most important thing out of this, and we really need to keep him at the center of what’s going on.”However, he had communicated in writing both Wednesday night and Thursday.
Dr. Pritts and Dr. William Knight IV have reported significant improvement in the condition of Denny Hamlin over the last 24 hours. They stated that his neurological situation seems to be intact, although he is still critically ill and in critical condition. The cause of his cardiac arrest remains unknown, and further tests are being conducted.
Regarding his recovery timeline, the doctors are hoping for more progress, such as Hamlin breathing independently and being discharged from the hospital. However, they noted that there is still a long way to go before the ventilator is removed and the next major milestone is for him to be able to breathe on his own.
“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 percent,” Pritts explained. “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 zero percent support, breathing tube comes out, and we define that as success.”
“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” read a statement released by the Bills. “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and is making steady progress. We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday night that Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Hamlin opened his eyes and is gripping the hands of those close to him from his hospital bed. This follows a harrowing incident on Monday when Hamlin tackled Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, after which he stumbled and collapsed on the field.
Medical personnel administered CPR on the field and transported him to a hospital. Doctors confirmed Thursday that Hamlin initially had a pulse and needed one round of CPR and the use of a defibrillator after he lost it.
Bills’ team doctor Leslie Knight credited the medical staff for their quick response, noting that their actions saved Hamlin’s life.