Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin took to social media for the first time since his collapse on Saturday to thank fans for their support.
The Instagram post comes days after the footballer collapsed on the field during the game Monday night football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
“If you put real love into the world, you’ll get it back three times more,” Hamlin wrote in the caption accompanying a photo of him wearing his No. 3 jersey. “The love has been overwhelming, but I am thankful for every single person who has prayed for me and reached out. We [brought] the world together again. If you know me, you know that this only way makes me stronger. Keep praying for me on a long road!”
The 24-year-old player has received tons of messages and support on social media from fellow players, friends and fans throughout the week. On Thursday, Bills player and cornerback Kaiir Elam tweeted, writing in part, “Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement.”
The NFL Security Service was hospitalized and in critical condition after collapsing during the January 2 game at Paycor Stadium. After being resuscitated on the field, he was taken by ambulance to Cincinnati Hospital and admitted to intensive care. The team later reported that he had “gone into cardiac arrest after a hit”.
The team and a representative for Hamlin provided an update on Thursday, saying he was awake and currently “appears to be neurologically intact”. The update came after the Bills said earlier Thursday that Hamlin had “shown marked improvement” according to his health care team. The next morning, according to his doctors, the team shared that Hamlin’s breathing tube had been removed and was able to talk to his family and care team.
On Friday, the NFL said the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game, which was initially suspended Monday night following Hamlin’s hospitalization, has been completely canceled.
