Damar Hamlin ‘is trending up in a positive way’ after suffering a cardiac arrest playing for the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, during which he had to be resuscitated twice.
Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told CNN: ‘His heart gave out so they had to resuscitate him twice. He was resuscitated in the field before they took him to the hospital and then they resuscitated him a second time when he was taken to the hospital.
‘They’re sedating him just to give him a better chance of just continuing to heal. We just take it day by day. He seems to be trending upwards in a positive way.’
Glenn added that Hamlin, who is being treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, has some damage to his lungs and is breathing on a ventilator.
‘I’m just glad he’s alive and able to fight and trying to heal and recover,’ he said.
‘I’m not screaming, but I’ve never cried so hard in my life. Just to know like my nephew basically died on the field and they brought him back to life.
‘If it wasn’t for them (the medical staff) my nephew probably wouldn’t be here.’
Glenn said Hamlin was ‘turned onto his stomach’ at the hospital to help blood flow to his lungs.
Hamlin collapsed on the field in the first quarter of Monday’s game. He had just stood up after chasing down opponent Tee Higgins, before falling backwards and motionless to the ground.
After his heartbeat was restored on the field as stunned players from both teams cried, prayed and hugged, Hamlin was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was listed in critical condition. His mother was at the game and accompanied Hamlin to the hospital – his parents were at his bedside.
In a statement earlier Tuesday, the family also acknowledged the first responders and health care professionals at the hospital who provided care to Hamlin, as well as the Bengals and Bills organizations.
‘Your generosity and compassion meant the world to us,’ Hamlin’s family wrote. ‘Please keep Damar in your prayers. We’ll release updates as soon as we have them.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Hamlin’s representative Jordon Rooney said: ‘We have no concrete updates at the moment, last night they administered CPR on the field and got his vitals in a stable position.
‘I’m not sure of the exact medical term, but he was sedated. He was intubated; I’m not sure if that’s the same as induced coma.
‘From that point there is no major update, they are really just monitoring him and seeing how he is and how it is best for him to recover.
It was a surprise to us, we didn’t expect that to happen. He is healthy and fit.’
He added that Hamlin and his family were ‘symbols of strength.’
He didn’t fall, it’s alarming, but everyone’s reaction. Seeing how everyone was reacting that was the part that was the scariest because what are they seeing that we can’t see?’
Higgins – the player who dealt with the incident on the field – led the well wishes sent to Hamlin on Twitter, writing: ‘My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIslandthe Hamlin Family. I’m praying that you get through bro. Love.’
On the play the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin was injured, Higgins led with his right shoulder, hitting the defensive back in the chest. Hamlin, who earns a base salary of $825,000, then wrapped his arms around Higgins’ shoulders and helmet to pull him down.
Hamlin stood up quickly, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backwards three seconds later and was motionless.
Hamlin was surrounded by players from both sides and treated for 16 minutes before being immobilized and taken off the field. As medical personnel gathered around Hamlin, his playing uniform was ripped off.
Players on both teams were visibly stunned by what happened and many were in tears on the field.
Several players embraced, including quarterbacks Josh Allen of Buffalo and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati. The game was postponed by the NFL.
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