Damar Hamlin Update: Bills Safety Is Awake, But He Still Can't Speak and Is in ICU
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been making slow improvements over the past 24 hours. Physicians described his improvements as "remarkable," according to Hamlin's team.
The Bills said in a statement that Hamlin appears "neurologically intact" despite still being critically ill, adding that Hamlin's lungs continue to heal and are "making steady progress."
Hamlin's agent, Ronald Butler, noted that the Bills' safety was awake and has been able to hold the hands of family members present at his hospital bedside.
His improvements were reported days after Hamlin collapsed on the field during the Bills-Bengals game. Hamlin was resuscitated on the field by the responding medical team. He was then rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Monday night, wherein he spent the past two days sedated and was considered to be in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the Bills were scheduled to return to practice on Thursday since the incident.
Damar Hamlin: Status of Injury
Dr. Timothy Pritts noted that Hamlin was able to communicate through writing and he cannot speak due to the breathing tube in his throat.
Pritts added that the Bills' safety even asked "who had won the game," to which he replied "yes" and that Hamlin "won the game of life."
Hamlin's doctors noted that his recovery includes other promising signs that his brain is still functioning.
Pritts said that it seems that "all the cylinders are firing."
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott and team quarterback Josh Allen told the press that Hamlin's improved condition was uplifting news for the team.
Allen said that the team heard the news about Hamlin's improvement, adding that "there's nothing" that could bring the team's day down.
Hamlin's teammate Kaiir Elam noted in a tweet that "our boy is doing better," being awake and showing other signs of improvement.
Damar Hamlin Condition
McDermott also praised the team's assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington for his response during the game on Monday night.
The Buffalo head coach said Kellington was a "real leader" and a "real hero."
Kellington started working for the Bills' athletic training staff in 2017. He was a Syracuse sports medicine staff member in 2005 before he joined the Bills.
Meanwhile, Allen also went on to say that the incident was a "freak accident" after he noted some of the things he saw on Twitter, criticizing Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
Some critics suggested that Higgins was bearing some blame for Hamlin's condition.
Allen added that he was glad that Hamlin's parents rejected the idea, with the Bills quarterback saying it was "nothing that Tee could control."
The quarterback further remarked that people should not be going against Higgins while saying that he hopes Higgins does not hold the incident upon himself.
The Hamlins' spokesperson noted that Higgins reached out to the family to share his support for the Hamlins.
READ MORE: Damar Hamlin Injury Update: Bills Star in Critical Condition, Cause of Collapse Revealed
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Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin Is Awake, Holding Hands With Family - from CBS Miami