On Jan. 2, 2023, on a Monday Night Football game in Cincinnati, Ohio between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, the National Football League (NFL) world endured one of the scariest moments in league history. It happened deep into the first quarter, when Bills’ second-year safety out of the University of Pittsburgh Damar Hamlin collapsed following a collision with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. After initially getting up, Hamlin fell to the ground and went into cardiac arrest. Both teams’ medical staff urgently sprinted onto the field, resuscitating him. An ambulance immediately rushed him to the nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Hospital.  

After days of waiting, on Jan. 6, those around the world rooting for Hamlin found some relief when news broke that he had woken up and was actively communicating with doctors. After a long battle, Hamlin was able to communicate with doctors through writing. One of the first questions Hamlin asked doctors was, “Did we win?” While the game between the Bills and Bengals was ultimately canceled, Hamlin had recovered, quickly becoming an inspiration around the world. 

Finally, on Jan. 11, Hamlin was granted a release from the University of Cincinnati Medical Hospital. To add on to the good news, a GoFundMe that Hamlin had initially set up for a community toy drive had been flooded with donations during Hamlin’s battle. As of Jan. 29, donors blew past the $2,500 goal, reaching an astonishing $9,026,130 for Hamlin’s community and the Chasing M’s Foundation. 

Hamlin is just beginning to inspire those around him. Recently he made his way to Highmark Stadium for the Bills’ American Football Conference (AFC) Divisional playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals would win that game by a score of 27-10, but Bills fans could still go home happy after seeing their team’s safety make an appearance at the stadium.