January 2, 2023, is going to be a night to remember for everybody in the NFL as well as football fans all over, because it happened to be one of those nights on which a much-hyped Monday night football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals turned out to be a nightmare when what was supposed to be an extremely important affair on the level of the playoffs turned out to be a game of horrors. The collapsing player of the Buffalo Bills Demar Hamlin in the first quarter sent shock waves. Worldwide, galvanising support from around the world for him and the medical professionals who are battled in a flurry to save his life.
This game represented one of the most important games played during the season. Both the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals had a fair claim to be considered the first overall team of the AFC, and they both earned a bye in the first round of the postseason and home-field advantage throughout.No one team in the AFC or in the NFL, to that matter, had lost in nearly two months, and no one was looking forward to this impasse more than. Early in the game, however, Cincinnati scored the first quick touchdown drive by Tyler Boyd. Buffalo responded with a field goal, keeping the energy in the stadium high and the competition fierce. But amid all that intensity was a moment that would turn out to be a defining incident in the history of the NFL.
With less than six minutes left in the first quarter, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw a pass to wide receiver T. Higgins. Higgins ran forward, lowering his shoulder and hitting the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Hamlin attempted the tackle, grasped up and readjusted his helmet. Then he just fell straight back, limp on the field. The chaos ensued immediately. Whistles blew, indicating that the game needed to be stopped on the spot, and in the blink of an eye, doctors and trainers poured onto the field. Hamlin's state was critical; he needed medical attention, including CPR, which was performed for about 10 minutes.
As players from both teams gathered around Hamlin, blocking the view from the public, things became real. Cheers, and anticipation-filled stadium turned into a hushed silence. Oxygen therapy was administered to him, and after about 20 minutes of medical attention in the field, he was cautiously loaded into an ambulance and rushed off to the University of Cincinnati Medical Centre.
The whole world saw the play going on. At that time of first confusion, the NFL again communicated with broadcasters and the teams that they had five minutes to continue the game. However, as this trend became quite clear that this was more than just a simple thing, none of the teams tried to warm up or get back to the game.
In a moment of real crisis, Bills head coach Sean McDermott called for his team to return to the locker room. Both teams retired from the field as the full gravity of what was happening finally sank in. An hour after Hamlin's collapse, the game was officially postponed, leaving everyone in limbo about Hamlin's state.
Hamlin was taken to the hospital when he suffered a heart attack on the field. His heartbeat was restored through prompt efforts from the medical team but he remained critically ill. Millions were anxiously waiting for updates on his health as Hamlin was treated in the hospital. Fans, and even players, went online expressing concern and offering prayers for him to regain health. During the night, Hamlin's charity foundation, "The Chasing M Foundation," which helps with toy drives for poor children, collected an overwhelming number of donations. By the time the Monday night's game had finished, and the foundation had reached around $74,000. The next morning, though, when news of his condition had surfaced, that sum had increased to more than $3 million, with over 119,000 new donors. The days passed with donations rising to over $9 million, proving how much people in the world cared for Hamlin.
It was near about three days that little was said about Hamlin's recovery by any person. Everyone was in suspense. Then came good news from the University of Cincinnati Medical Centre on January 5th. Hamlin's neurological function was intact, and he was allowed to hold hands with his family. He communicated for the first time when he wrote on his notepad with his very first question, "Did we win? " The medical team responded, "You won. The following day brought more good news. Hamlin's breathing tube was removed, and he breathed on his own. His neurologic function remained intact; he could speak with his family. He even made a FaceTime call to his teammates, during which he said, "Love you boys." It was the first time he told them that since the incident.
As Hamlin continued his recovery, the NFL and its teams rallied in support of him. During warm-ups for their first game following the incident, players from every NFL team wore shirts with the message "Love for Demar." The Buffalo Bills took it a step further in their final game of the regular season. The players wore shirts and hats featuring Hamlin’s number 3, and they
carried “Love for Demar” flags as they entered the field. The most memorable moment of this game came at the onset. New England won the coin toss and decided to defer, setting off the game with the opening kickoff from Buffalo. What ensued after was nothing but a fairy tale moment. Nyheim Hines returned the kickoff for Buffalo for a touchdown as that whole crowd erupted into a roar. One more thing made this special moment even more exclusive: Hamlin was watching the game from his hospital room. Hamlin threw so much excitement over the touchdown that he almost activated alarms in the ICU, said medical staff.
After this emotional final game of the regular season, Hamlin's condition continued to improve rapidly. On January 9th, exactly one week after the incident, Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Centre and was transferred to Buffalo General Medical Center. His condition had been upgraded from critical to good. He was able to walk, undergo physical therapy, and communicate freely with his family and doctors.
Hamlin's stay at Buffalo General was short. He was put through a series of cardiac, vascular, and neurological tests, all of which were positive. Twenty-four hours later, Hamlin was released to return home to continue his rehabilitation under the comfort of his family and teammates.
As Buffalo began to prepare for its opening playoff date with the Miami Dolphins, Hamlin popped up out of nowhere to surprise his teammates just days before the big game. Although not yet completely recovered, Hamlin's presence said it all: that there is resilience and support in the face of adversity. Just a week later, Hamlin appeared in public for the first time since the incident to play in Buffalo's divisional playoff game against the Bengals to show the world exactly how much distance he had gained in such a small amount of time.
Throughout the ordeal, social media played a huge role in keeping fans and supporters abreast about the condition of Hamlin. His personal Twitter and Instagram accounts became the hearts of the flow of information, with his family and medical staff providing regular updates. Hamlin, in turn, has utilised such platforms in expressing his gratitude for the outpour of support, stating that he was overwhelmed by such love and prayers. The gratitude went beyond verbal words. He was willing to contribute by creating merchandise, of which all proceeds went towards the University of Cincinnati Trauma Centre, which was of significant interest during his fight for life. Not even stopping there, Hamlin apologised to his teammate Tre'Davious White for what the team had gone through emotionally in relation to this accident, revealing Hamlin as a character over a mere player.