CNN
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Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin has been released from his club, Buffalo Medical Center. said Wednesday, more than a week after being hospitalized after suffering a heart attack during a “Monday Night Football” game this month.
Hospital officials said 24-year-old Bill’s safety was showing signs of rapid improvement in the days since his release from New York’s Buffalo General Medical Center.
“We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with team physicians, we are confident that Dammer can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills. ,” a physician leading Hamlin’s care in Buffalo, Dr. Jamie Nadler said in a statement released on Twitter on Wednesday.
Hamlin was initially hospitalized in Cincinnati when his heart suddenly stopped following a tackle during a Jan. 2 game against the host Cincinnati Bengals, but was released on Monday after doctors said his critical condition had improved significantly. was transferred to the Buffalo facility.
Doctors at Buffalo Hospital were trying to determine why Hamlin suffered a heart attack, Calida Health, the group of hospitals that includes Buffalo Medical Center, said before his discharge. That includes whether pre-existing conditions played a role in the event, which shocked many across the country and sparked a massive outpouring of support for the second-year NFL player.
On Tuesday, Hamlin “underwent an extensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing,” the Bills said on Twitter.
No cause of Hamlin’s heart attack has been publicly announced.
“Special thanks to Buffalo General-it’s been nothing but love since arriving! Please keep me in all your prayers! ” Hamlin tweeted on Tuesday.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday that it will be up to Hamlin to decide when he will be around the team once he recovers.
“First and foremost, thankful that he’s home with his parents and his brother, which is great,” McDermott told reporters Wednesday. Set to host the Miami Dolphins for a playoff game on Sunday. No timetable has been announced for Hamlin’s return to professional football.
“We’ll leave (when he’s around the team) up to him. His health is foremost in our minds as far as his condition goes and when he feels ready, we will welcome him back,” McDermott said.
In critical condition in Cincinnati, Hamlin was sedated and on a ventilator for several days. The breathing tube was removed Friday morning, and Hamlin began walking with some assistance by that afternoon, his doctors said Monday.
The health care team focused on stabilizing Hamlin and upgraded his condition Monday because his organ systems were stable and he no longer needed intensive nursing or respiratory therapy, doctors said.
The head of surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Dr. “They have certainly accelerated what we consider to be a very common life-threatening event,” Timothy Pritts said earlier this week. “He’s making great progress.”
Pritts said Monday that normal recovery from a heart attack can be measured in weeks to months. Hamlin was beating that timeline at every stage and is neurologically intact.
When Hamlin collapsed after an open-field tackle against the Bengals wide receiver, medical personnel rushed to the field and immediately administered CPR — which helped save his life.
Hamlin’s heart had stopped, and medical responders resuscitated it twice before putting him in an ambulance and taking him to the hospital. Pritts said the immediate actions of medical personnel were critical “not only to saving his life, but to his neurological function.”
The horrifying sight of Hamlin suddenly collapsing on his back as he stood up after the tackle shocked his teammates, other players and millions of watching fans.
The game was initially postponed and later canceled by the NFL — a decision several former football players said signaled a shift in prioritizing players’ mental and physical health.
Now, Bill’s organization is encouraging people to learn the critical, life-saving skills of administering CPR.
According to the statement, the team has pledged support for resources including CPR certification, automated external defibrillator units and guidance on developing cardiac emergency response plans within the Buffalo community. “We encourage all of our fans to continue to show your support and take the next step by obtaining CPR certification,” Bills said.
