On Monday night, the NFL community bowed in shock after Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin, who took a heavy hit to the chest while tackling an opposing player, rose to his feet for just a few moments before folding backward. After receiving CPR onsite, he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he remains in critical condition. Reports indicate that he suffered a cardiac arrest triggered by force of impact.
While the community awaits word on Hamlin’s condition, football fans of all stripes have united to show support for the 24-year-old NFL star. Some shed tears at the stadium, which fell somber and silent. Others gathered outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to pray with eyes closed and hands clasped.
Others, meanwhile, have shone a light on Hamlin’s positive impact off the field, pouring money into a toy drive fundraiser that he set up in 2020 to purchase toys for children in his Pennsylvania hometown. “As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from,” the now-second-year NFL player wrote at the time. “I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me.”
In the hours after Hamlin’s injury, the toy drive, hosted on GoFundMe, brought in nearly $3 million in donations, and as of midday Tuesday, the campaign’s total has crossed $4 million.
The spirit of giving has seemed to transcend Bills fans, widely referred to as the “Bills Mafia,” who have already proven to be a charitable bunch: In 2020, they donated over a million dollars to a children’s hospital after Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s grandmother died. Now, posts encouraging Hamlin’s recovery are coming from all tribes of football fandom.
“Praying hard.. please be okay man,” Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wrote on Twitter. “Everyone in our community is praying for Damar Hamlin,” wrote the NFL. “Following his injury on the field tonight, fans across the country are showing their support for him and his family by donating to his fundraiser,” GoFundMe wrote.
According to a report from the Bills team, Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored on the field and his vitals are stable, although he remains sedated and in critical condition.
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