After the tragic collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on “Monday Night Football,” the nation has heard from sports announcers.
It has heard from the team and from health professionals.
On Tuesday morning, it heard from members of the Hamlin family, in a dignified statement of gratitude for the thoughts and prayers of a concerned nation.
It was distributed through the Twitter account of Jordon Rooney, Hamlin’s marketing representative.
“On behalf of our family: we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country,” the statement said.
“We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar. We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach [Zac] Taylor and the Bengals for everything they’ve done.
“Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us.
“Please keep Damar in your prayers.
“We will release updates as soon as we have them.”
Announcement directly from Damar’s family: pic.twitter.com/MdzgxUmVfg
— Jordon Rooney (@jordonr) January 3, 2023
The statement came as the country awaited word about the health of the 24-year-old athlete, who collapsed during the first quarter of the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium.
Hamlin had just been in a play where he took a forceful blow to the chest — a blow some doctors said might have been the direct cause of his collapse and the cardiac arrest it involved.
The response was an outpouring of prayer emojis, heart emojis and general well-wishes for the young man:
Praying for Damar and his family! It’s amazing how so many around the world have come together to pray, sending positive healing vibes or supporting his charity. Best wishes for a FULL recovery!
— NuggetForTruth (@Heather_71USA) January 3, 2023
Hoping he pulls through this!
— Jason Keck (@tequilakeck) January 3, 2023
It was a moment that touched fans across the country — as the donations to Hamlin’s charity overnight Monday showed. And comments even came from abroad.
Sending all the positive thoughts we have from across the pond.
— Arrowheads Abroad (@KCChiefs_UK) January 3, 2023
Hamlin was in critical condition Tuesday at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
