ORCHARD PARK, NY — Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin said the Bills safety was back in Buffalo on Monday, an encouraging sign of progress since he suffered a cardiac arrest a week ago on the home ground of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Monday morning. He was flown back to Buffalo, where Dr. William Knight said he was ‘doing well’.
Hamlin’s comeback comes 24 hours after he cheered on his teammates from his hospital bed. The Bills won their final game of the season 35-23 at the expense of the New England Patriots.
“We are delighted and proud to announce that Damar Hamlin has been released from hospital,” the Ohio-based medical center said. He is doing well and it is in Buffalo where he left that the next stage of his recovery will take place.
“I’m grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC,” Hamlin tweeted, adding that the staff at his new hospital, Buffalo General Medical Center, already made him feel like home. .
The Bills wore a No. 3, Hamlin’s, patch for that game, which proved cathartic for the organization and its fans.
The 24-year-old Hamlin has made great strides since spending his first two days in hospital in an artificial coma induced by doctors, in addition to being on life support.
Doctors pulled him out of the coma on Wednesday night and he was able to shake hands with loved ones. On Friday, he was removed from the life support device. He was also able to chat with his teammates by videoconference.
On Sunday, doctors judged his neurological function to be excellent, but Hamlin remains in critical condition.
Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC. Happy to be back in Buffalo. The docs and nurses at Buffalo General have already made me feel at home! 🏩🫶🏾.
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland)
January 9, 2023
An amazing update. ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/Do1P1nKQWI
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills)
January 9, 2023
” A long way “
Hamlin, who remained in critical condition for several days, made rapid and steady progress. After waking up on Wednesday, he was deintubated on Thursday evening and was then able to communicate verbally with his loved ones and members of his team, demonstrating that he was on the right track after a near death.
William Knight, one of the doctors at UCMC Medical Center who operated on Hamlin and who accompanied him to the airport before his transfer to Buffalo on Monday, warned that his recovery would be “a long way to go”.
“It is premature to talk about a possible return to NFL grounds,” he told a few reporters. We are focused on his day-to-day recovery. We are delighted with its current state. He stands, he walks, he has an amazing sense of humor. But as for any speculation about his future, it’s still far too early. »
In particular, he must undergo further examinations to determine what may have caused his cardiac arrest last week.
In the meantime, the day after the final day of the regular season, which was an opportunity for all NFL players, staff and fans to pay tribute to him, Hamlin expressed his gratitude and his emotion on Twitter.
“Seeing everyone gather around me on Sunday was truly an incredible feeling. The same love that you have all shown me, I intend to return it” a hundredfold, he wrote.