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Jan. 3 (UPI) — NFL fans and players surged donations to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s charity, as teammates and members of the Cincinnati Bengals kept vigil at the hospital where Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday.
The 24-year-old was hit in the chest during a first-quarter tackle attempt against the Bengals during the Monday Night Football game in Cincinnati. He got back to his feet, but then collapsed to the ground.
The Bills said Tuesday morning that Hamlin’s heart had stopped, but was restored by first-responders while he was on the field at Paycor Stadium. He remained sedated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where dozen of fans traveled to show their support for Hamlin, who was in his second season in the NFL.
Jordon Rooney, Hamlin’s marketing agent, said Monday night that the Bills safety slept with a breathing tube and his vitals were “back to normal.”
The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive, a fundraiser organized by Hamlin, started with a goal of $2,500, but continues to receive a surge of donations and was up to more than $3.3 million on Tuesday. Some of the donations came from fellow athletes, including San Franciso 40ers runing back Christian McCaffrey.
Bills and Bengals players and coaches were among the visitors late Monday and early Tuesday at UC Medical Center. The NFL announced early Tuesday that the Bills-Bengals game is postponed indefinitely. The Bills team plane left Cincinnati on Monday night.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping, typical as a result of an electrical disturbance. The American Heart Association states that there are more than 356,000 cases per year — outside a hospital — in the United States, which are often fatal if appropriate steps aren’t taken for immediate care.
Medical personnel attended Hamlin for more than 10 minutes, administering CPR and oxygen.
Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes is the only known player to die on the field during an NFL game. Hughes sustained a heart attack, brought on by an undiagnosed heart disease, and died Oct. 24, 1971, at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. He was 28.
Hamlin entered the league as a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The McKees Rocks, Pa., native went to Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh before he joined the Bills.
“Damar Hamlin is the best of us,” Pitt Football tweeted Monday night. “We love you, 3. Praying for you.”
The Bills, who trailed 7-3 before the game stopped and was postponed, were scheduled to host the New England Patriots in their final regular-season game at 1 p.m. EST Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.
