(CINCINNATI) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been discharged from the hospital nine days after he collapsed during a game from cardiac arrest, the team said.
He had been transferred from UC Health in Cincinnati to Buffalo General earlier in the week.
“Hamlin was admitted on Monday and went through a comprehensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday,” the Bills said in a statement.
Hamlin collapsed after tackling Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter of a Monday Night Football game Jan. 2. Medical professionals rushed on the field seconds after he collapsed and eventually restarted his heart and provided CPR. He was loaded into an ambulance on the field and taken to nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
While he remained on a ventilator initially, he had the breathing tube removed days after being admitted to the hospital and doctors said his neurological function remained intact.
“We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,” Dr. Jamie Nadler, chief quality officer at Buffalo General, said in a statement.
Hamlin spent Sunday tweeting about his team’s performance in a game against the New England Patriots. The Bills’ Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and eventually locked up the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with a 35-23 win.
He also shared a photo of himself in his hospital bed in Cincinnati with his parents.
The NFL and public have rallied support for Hamlin in the week since he was injured. Players and coaches around the league wore “Love for Damar” T-shirts and the No. 3 was highlighted in the 30-yard line at every field in the league. A GoFundMe that Hamlin started in 2020 to raise $2,500 for a charity toy drive was shared on social media in the wake of the game and has now raised over $8.75 million.
“Obviously grateful first and foremost that he’s home and with his parents, his brother, which is great,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said at a press conference Wednesday. “I’m sure it’s felt like a long time since he’s been able to be home.”
McDermott said he would “leave it up to him” to decide when Hamlin wanted to visit the team.
The Bills are set to host the Miami Dolphins in the wild card round of the playoffs on Jan. 15.
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