Getty Green Bay Packers showing support for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin at Lambeau Field.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin took a big step in his recovery from cardiac arrest during Buffalo’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, January 2. And one Kansas City Chiefs fan who heard the news about Hamlin went viral for his reaction.
Take a look at the clip, which was filmed by the fan’s mother, Kelsey Tatro, and try to not let your heart melt onto the floor:
Damar Hamlin Woke Up, Asked Who Won
Per doctors, Hamlin first woke up Wednesday, January 4, and can now move his head, hands, and feet. At that point, he was communicating in writing due to his breathing tube.
On January 5, doctors revealed that Hamlin’s first question after waking up at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center was about the outcome of the Bills-Bengals game.
“Did we win?” Hamlin wrote, Dr. Timothy Pritts shared during a press conference from the UC Medical Center.
“Did we win?”
Amazing that’s what Damar Hamlin asked doctors when he woke up!
“Yes, you won the game of life,” Doctors told the Bills player
Hamlin, 24 years old, collapsed with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter of the Week 17 game after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
Medical personnel performed CPR for nearly 10 minutes on Hamlin. They also administered an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the field to him. Hamlin only needed to be resuscitated once on the field, not twice, as his uncle mistakenly communicated on January 3.
While still in the intensive care unit (ICU), Hamlin published his first post on social media since the incident on Monday Night Football on January 7.
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much.,” Hamlin wrote in his Instagram post. The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me! #3strong.”
Hamlin Released from UC Medical Center
On January 9, The Athletic reported that Hamlin was released from the UC Medical Center and flew to a Buffalo hospital to continue his recovery.
“Damar Hamlin has been released and returned to Buffalo,” UC Medical Center physician Dr. William Knight IV told the media. “I traveled with him to the airport this morning with our UC Health Air Care and Mobile Care crew, including teammates who were with us on the field when Damar Hamlin collapsed. He landed safely, and as standard as anybody who has gone through what he’s gone through this past week, and certainly after flying on a plane, he is going to be observed and monitored to ensure that there’s no impact from the flight on his condition or on his lungs.”
While Hamlin “still has a little bit of a ways to go in terms of his ongoing recovery,” Dr. Knight added, via The Athletic. “He’s up, he’s walking around, he’s got an amazing, genuine sense of humor.”
Twitter Reacts to Chiefs Fans’ Viral Reaction
Twitter users reacted to the Chiefs fan’s viral reaction to Hamlin’s recovery.
“That kid is all of us. I don’t watch American football but he seems like such a gentleman, it’s a huge relief he’s doing well,” one Twitter user wrote. “The @BuffaloBills seem to have a policy of signing good people on their team. [Josh] Allen and [Stefon] Diggs are just like him, pure class. Go win him a superbowl.”
@JoshuaJBrockman That kid is all of us. I don’t watch American football but he seems like such a gentleman, it’s a huge relief he’s doing well. The @BuffaloBills seem to have a policy of signing good people on their team. Allen and Diggs are just like him, pure class. Go win him a superbowl
“As a chiefs fan myself there’s no one currently (maybe bengals) that I want to beat more than the bills,” another user wrote. “But this is the same way we all felt, this is bigger than football, this is the nfl community and beyond as a whole who are pulling for Damar. We feel you kid!”
@JoshuaJBrockman As a chiefs fan myself there’s no one currently (maybe bengals) that I want to beat more than the bills. But this is the same way we all felt, this is bigger then football, this is the nfl community and beyond as a whole who are pulling for Damar. We feel you kid! ❤️💙
“These parents are winning by raising an empathetic boy unafraid to express healthy emotions. What a lovely moment for mom to share,” another user wrote.
@JoshuaJBrockman These parents are winning by raising an empathetic boy unafraid to express healthy emotions. What a lovely moment for mom to share. ❤️