© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Buffalo Bills' Hamlin awake, still in critical condition

Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills celebrates during a game this season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in New York.
Timothy T Ludwig
/
Getty Images
Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills celebrates during a game this season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in New York.

Damar Hamlin is awake, but the Buffalo Bills Safety remains hospitalized at University of Cincinnati Medical Center in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest during Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The team released a statement Thursday morning saying Hamlin is making “remarkable improvement” and has “demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact” while his lungs continue to heal. Hamlin remains "critically ill," but according to NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport, Hamlin had opened his eyes Wednesday night and was holding and gripping the hands of people close to him.

Kaleida Health Internal Medicine Chief of Service Dr. George Matthews said these are positive early signs.

“The fact that it is possible to restore the heart rhythm to normal and reestablish circulation decreases the likelihood of impairment to the brain or other vital organs. So that's the key point," he said. "If it can be identified quickly enough and treated quickly enough. The individuals have a good potential for recovery.”

Matthews said the quick thinking of Bills and Bengals trainers on the field saved Hamlin's life.

"The aspect that was particularly to be commended is that the trainers, the physicians were able to undertake CPR and in effect, restore adequate blood flow in a very short period of time," he said. "The consequences of not having that is damage to the vital organs, in particular, the heart itself, as well as the brain.”

Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation has raised over $7 million in donations since the incident.

The Bills are practicing Thursday and will hold a press conference in the afternoon with head coach Sean McDermott a few of the players.

Related Content