Damar Hamlin has spoken out publicly for the first time since suffering a near-fatal injury earlier this month. The NFL defense suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the field during the Buffalo Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2. Doctors had to restart his heart before taking him to the hospital, where he was in critical condition.
Hamlin first shared a brief update on Instagram on January 8 in which he thanked all his fans and the football team for their support, and now he’s following it up with a video message where he opens up about his road to recovery.
“Now that my brothers have closed the season of difficult victories, as I continue to make great progress in recovery, I think it is finally a good time to share a few things,” he said. he said. “I think it is important for me to wait and speak in public at the right time, because it is just a lot of processing in myself. Mentally, physically, even the spiritual path.”
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the love, all the support, and everything that’s coming my way,” he continued. “What happened to me on Monday Night Football, I think, is exactly an example of God using me as a vessel to share my passion and love directly from my heart to the whole world. And now, I can to give it back. to the children and communities around the world who need it the most, and that’s always been my dream, that’s always what I stand for and what I stand for.”
Hamlin went on to thank many of the coaches, athletes and medical staff on behalf of, as well as the many doctors, nurses and first responders at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, whose life was saved by an ambulance on the field. . He then thanked his parents, whom he described as his “anchors,” his teammates for their “true love and support,” and Cincinnati football fans.
“Just putting team support aside to root for a child’s life and just the humanity of a player wearing Buffalo blue, to make humanity more than team loyalty, you show global unity rather than division,” he said.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. Her work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
