Bills Safety’s Demar Hamlin was released from Buffalo Hospital on Wednesday, more than a week after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game in Cincinnati, after his doctors said they completed a series of tests.
A Bills press release quoted Dr. Jamie Nadler as saying, “We have completed a series of tests and evaluation and in consultation with team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged.” Nadler said Hamlin will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.
Hamlin will return home after spending two days getting tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. He was flown to Buffalo on Monday after spending the past week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh area experienced what doctors called a “remarkable recovery.”
The news came as the Bills returned to practice to prepare to host their rival Miami Dolphins in a playoff game on Sunday.
Coach Sean McDermott said it was up to Hamlin whether he would visit the team.
“His health is first and foremost in our minds in connection with his condition,” McDermott told reporters. “We will welcome him back because he feels ready.”
Hamlin collapsed on the field after being punched in the chest by Bengals receiver T. Higgins while making what appeared to be a routine tackle during the first quarter of a since canceled Buffalo game at Cincinnati on January 2.
He spent the first two days in the hospital under anesthesia. He was woken up and was able to hold people’s hands at his bedside, eventually taking his ventilator off and being able to address his teammates on Friday.
Hamlin’s progress in recovering from cardiac arrest, considered a life-threatening event, was normal and accelerated, his doctors said, and that he was able to cheer on the Bills from his hospital bed during their win over the New England Patriots last weekend.
He has tweeted his gratitude to the fans and medical staff in recent days. “Keep me in all your prayers please!” Tuesday Books.
Doctors said it was too early to comment on the possible cause of Hamelin’s cardiac arrest. The press release did not provide any information on what the tests revealed.
The Bills wore Hamlin No. 3 patches on their jerseys on Sunday and honored their teammate with a three-finger raise in the closing minutes. It was part of a league-wide outpouring of support for Pitt’s second-year player, whose collapse during Monday’s game and the chilling repercussions were witnessed by millions of television viewers. With an ambulance standing in the field, medical staff worked frantically at Hamelin for several minutes as stricken colleagues looked on at each other, some sobbing.
In the days that followed, $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations were poured into the Hamlin’s fundraiser, which will be used to support youth through education and sports.
He will also use the proceeds from the sale of new T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Did We Win?” along with his hands in the shape of a heart, to raise money for the Cincinnati trauma center that initially treated him.