Four days after suffering cardiac arrest in the middle of a game, Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is now breathing on his own and has spoken with his teammates.
The Bills announced Friday morning that the breathing tube that helped Hamlin breathe had been removed. His state of health “continues to progress remarkably”, adds the organization, specifying that “his neurological functions remain intact”.
Hamlin was able to speak with his family and with the healthcare team accompanying him. He also made a FaceTime call with his teammates and coaches during the Bills’ team meeting on Friday.
“I love you guys,” he told them.
On Thursday, two of the doctors caring for Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the Drs William Knight and Timothy Pritts, indicated that the Bills safety had woken up and communicated by nodding or writing brief notes. The “next step” was for him to be able to breathe completely on his own, they had mentioned, without specifying how long that might take.
The best-case scenario for what happens next is to get him back to the state “he was in at 8 a.m. Monday morning, which is completely neurologically intact. Strong. With well-functioning lungs, without heart dysfunction, ”explained the Dr Knight. However, it is still “too early” to know if he will be able to play football again.
Match canceled
The NFL has confirmed that Monday’s game between the Bills and the Bengals will not be resumed, but that will not affect the respective records of the two teams. The League explains that it made this decision because this meeting would have had no effect on the participation, or not, of a team in the playoffs. The resumption of the game would also have required postponing the start of the playoffs for a week, which would have “affected the 14 clubs which qualified there”.
The clubs will meet on Friday to assess the possibility of the AFC Championship match being played at a neutral venue. The resolution was recommended by the commissioner and approved by the competition committee on Thursday.
“It was a very difficult week,” said commissioner Roger Goodell. We continue to focus on Damar Hamlin’s recovery and are encouraged by the improvement in his condition, as well as the incredible support Damar and his family have received across the country. »