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passengershaming OP t1_j37cz6u wrote

[Breaking news update, published at 10:15 a.m. ET]

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s breathing tube was removed overnight and he “continues to progress remarkably in his recovery,” the team said Friday morning, four days after the 24-year-old’s in-game cardiac arrest.

“His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team,” it tweeted, citing physicians at the Cincinnati hospital where he’s being treated.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has made “substantial improvement” in a Cincinnati hospital following his in-game cardiac arrest on Monday, doctors announced Thursday, and is now awake and moving his hands and feet.

The 24-year-old can communicate by shaking his head, nodding or writing brief notes but can’t yet speak because he’s on a ventilator, Dr. Timothy Pritts, part of his medical team, told reporters. Upon awakening, Pritts said, Hamlin’s mind was still on the game as he scribbled his first question on a clipboard: “Did we win?”

“So, we know that it’s not only that the lights are on, we know that he’s home. And that it appears all cylinders are firing within his brain,” said Pritts, who is vice chair for clinical operations at University of Cincinnati Health where Hamlin is being treated.

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passengershaming OP t1_j37d4wm wrote

Here are the latest developments:

• Hamlin has made “a fairly remarkable recovery”: Though Hamlin remains in intensive care, he is demonstrating “good neurologic recovery” and is awake and holding hands with family in the hospital, Pritts said Thursday.

• He has a long way to go: “This marks a really good turning point in his ongoing care,” Pritts said, but “there are many, many steps still ahead of him.” Hamlin’s next big milestone will be breathing on his own without a ventilator, said Dr. William Knight, director of emergency medicine.

• Cardiac arrest cause still unknown: Tests are underway to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, Knight said. Cardiac arrest results from electrical disturbances that cause the heart to suddenly stop beating properly, and death can occur quickly if help isn’t rendered immediately; it is not the same as a heart attack or heart failure.

• Hamlin lost pulse on the field: While surrounded by medical teams on the field, Hamlin lost his pulse and had to be administered CPR and defibrillation as fans and teammates looked on, Knight said. He was then intubated in the ambulance and arrived at the hospital about 30 to 45 minutes after he collapsed, the doctor added.

• Bills are back to work: The team met Wednesday and held its first full practice of the week Thursday in preparation for hosting the Patriots on Sunday. The team has been receiving “incremental updates” from medical staff as well as from Bills general manager Brandon Beane and head athletic trainer Nate Breske who stayed behind in Cincinnati, head coach Sean McDermott said. “I think the fact that we just keep hearing good news about Damar, it just keeps pushing us forward,” quarterback Josh Allen told reporters Thursday.

• “People are going to be changed forever”: The players have had “some very open and honest and deep talks” since their teammate was hospitalized Monday, Allen said. “I think putting that helmet back on was a really good thing for our team,” he said of returning to practice, “… but I would be lying to you if I didn’t say, some people are going to be changed forever after being on the field and witnessing that and feeling those emotions.”

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10Exahertz t1_j37lf9z wrote

Very uplifting indeed.

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SignificantHippo8193 t1_j38cy32 wrote

I was worried that he might have neurological problems because of the lack of air getting to his brain. Fortunately there doesn't appear to be any lasting damage so I was finally able to breath a sigh of relief. Though he'll never play a game of football again, not after getting an injury like that. Still, much better outcome than what could have happened.

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Affectionate_Salt351 t1_j39syj2 wrote

This is beautiful. I cried so hard when I watched the press conference today. Also, when Josh Allen said that the first thing Hamlin asked when he woke up was “Who won the game?”, I laughed. He was able to tell his teammates that he loved them on FaceTime.

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Claque-2 t1_j391ydm wrote

This is wonderful news and was 99.9% too much to hope for.

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One_Astronaut_483 t1_j386i26 wrote

Maybe they can improve/create a test for this heart issue, I don't think a player with this should be allowed to play professionally any kind of contact sports unfortunately.

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mant12 t1_j38f0jp wrote

It’s not a pre-existing condition, assuming the doctors that believe it was commotio corditis are correct. Basically it results from a hit happening at a very specific time in his heart beat. If it was that then the likely hood of it happening to him again are about the same as being struck by lightning multiple times.

All that said he definitely won’t be playing again if there is damage to his heart, lungs, or brain as a result of the situation.

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One_Astronaut_483 t1_j38gquk wrote

My understanding is that commotio corditis can happen on only some people, not all. Maybe I'm wrong.

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acdelli t1_j38m7zd wrote

I believe it can theoretically happen to anyone, but the conditions for it happening are very different for each person in terms of the force required, location of impact, etc. The hit that Damar took may not have triggered anything in someone with slightly thicker ribs, a slightly varied heart rate, etc.

Now if they find something like cardiomyopathy or something where his heart put him at a uniquely elevated risk for this to happen, you might be on to something. Either way, I’d be shocked if he plays again, I could see him on a coaching staff but I can’t imagine he didn’t sustain some sort of long term damage

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One_Astronaut_483 t1_j393ko0 wrote

Will see, at least this case got a lot of attention and maybe some money will be thrown at this problem and at least some better absorption shielding in the heart region will be developed.

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[deleted] t1_j3aa2ql wrote

[deleted]

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LIVESTRONGG t1_j3cec2v wrote

There have been 4 players in different sports that had the same thing happen to them and 3 of the came back, the most notable one is Chris Pronger, who had it happen to him early in his career and came back to play, a week or so later and ended up having a Hall of Fame career.

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