The Buffalo Bills notched an emotional victory Sunday as Damar Hamlin posted an encouraging new photo on Twitter.
Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety for the AFC East champion, shocked the sports world on Monday when he collapsed on the field during an away game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was suspended, and later canceled outright, with Hamlin being taken away from the stadium in an ambulance. It was later reported that he had suffered a cardiac arrest after taking a rough blow to the chest while tackling opposing player Tee Higgins.
Since then, Hamlin has slowly but surely begun to recover, waking up on Thursday and finally being able to speak once his breathing tube was removed on Friday. He has appeared to be in high spirits and has posted several times to Twitter to root for his teammates.
The Bills took on the New England Patriots in a home game on Sunday, ultimately winning, 35-23. Throughout the game, players and fans shared tributes to Hamlin, who said that he still wished he could have been able to join them on the field.
Prior to the game, the stadium also took a moment to celebrate the Bills’ medical team and athletic trainers, who rushed the field in Cincinnati on Monday night to provide medical treatment after Hamlin collapsed.
All throughout the game, Hamlin live-tweeted from his hospital bed, showing encouragement and celebrating the successful plays of his teammate, and also expressing gratitude for the support from fans. In one particularly hopeful post, Hamlin shared a photo of himself, able to sit upright in his bed, flanked on both sides by family members.
Following his team’s victory, Hamlin also shared a link where fans could purchase a “Did We Win” shirt, echoing his first words upon waking up. Eager to give back, he said that proceeds from the shirts will go to the University of Cincinnati Trauma Center.
“I want to give back an ounce of the love y’all showed me,” Hamlin wrote. “Proceeds of this shirt will go to first-responders and the UC Trauma Center. Go get yours!”
In the wake of his collapse, fans have also shown support for Hamlin by donating to his Chasing M’s Foundation toy drive fundraiser on GoFundMe. Initially only seeking to raise $2,500, the national spotlight has helped the foundation raise over $8.5 million from over 230,000 donations.
“Damar created The Chasing M’s Foundation to use as a vehicle to bring lasting impact to his community,” an update on the page stated. “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.”
Newsweek reached out to the Buffalo Bills team for comment.
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