By John Wawrow and Carolyn Thompson -
The Associated Press
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin began writing to his family and others who have been at his hospital bed since he went into cardiac arrest during a game Monday.
His first question, according to the doctors, was: "Did we win?"
“The answer is yes, Damar, you won. You won the game of life,"
Dr. Timothy Pritts told reporters on a conference call from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Hamlin was rushed after collapsing and being revived on the field during the Los Angeles game. Buffalo Bills against the Bengals, Monday night.
[Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin is in critical condition after going into cardiac arrest during an NFL game]
Hamlin remains seriously ill and in the intensive care unit, but he woke up Wednesday night and
it appears that his neurological function is intact
, meaning he can follow commands and move around, Pritts explained.
"He still has to make significant progress, but this marks a very good turning point in his recovery," the doctor said.
“The first question he wrote when he woke up was: Did we win?” he recounted.
"We know that not only are the lights on, but he's home and it seems like all cylinders are working in his brain, which is very gratifying for all of us," Pritts said.
Damar Hamlin in a file photo from December 2022.Greg M. Cooper / AP
Dr. William Knight IV said doctors
have not determined what caused Hamlin's cardiac arrest
and are running tests.
It is also too early to say if he will be able to return to football after undergoing rehabilitation, he added.
The news came Thursday when the Bills returned to practice for the first time since Hamlin collapsed when his heart stopped after a tackle in the first quarter of the game.
The match was suspended and will not resume
, two people familiar with the decision confirmed to The Associated Press news agency.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the league is still figuring out how to define
playoff
positions and scheduling.
The NFL Players Association must approve the changes.
[Damar Hamlin shows “signs of improvement” but remains in critical condition, Buffalo Bills say]
Hamlin, a sophomore from the Pittsburgh area, spent the past two days sedated and in critical condition.
Pritts noted that neurological signs of improvement began Wednesday night as he gradually woke up while the rest of his body recovered.
He still can't speak, as he has a tube attached to his throat to help him breathe.
Knight attributed the recovery to the quick medical response that saved his life.
Biden talks to Hamlin's family and reports player improvements
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Knight said a doctor was at Hamlin's side a minute after he collapsed and recognized that the defenseman had no pulse.
The player required cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the field.
“It's been a long, hard road for the last three days, he's improved remarkably,” Knight said.
"Great news," wrote the president, Joe Biden, in a tweet.
"Damar, as I told your mother and father yesterday, Jill and I—along with all of America—are praying for you and your family."
[Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapses during an NFL game]
In addition to writing, doctors said Hamlin was able to hold the hands of family members and members of the Bills' administrative and medical staff.
Although he is following orders, doctors have not yet fully evaluated his speech and other functions, mainly because he is sedated due to the tube that helps him breathe.
“When we talk about it being neurologically intact, we mean large motor movements and following commands.
When we mention the subtleties that make us human—cognition, emotion, speech, language, for example—we are eager to learn more about it,” Knight explained.
How a routine takedown ended in cardiac arrest that has Damar Hamlin between life and death
Jan 4, 202301:59
In recent days, players across the league, from former teammates to those who didn't know Hamlin until Monday, have come out in support.
Rodney Thomas, a Colts player, traveled more than two hours Tuesday from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to be with his former college teammate.
“He is a fighter.
I know he is a fighter and there is no other thought in my mind other than him walking out on his own footing,” he declared on Wednesday.
Minnesota Vikings defenseman Harrison Phillips, who played the previous four seasons in Buffalo, brought a dinner to the hospital for Hamlin's family and medical staff.
Fans, team owners and players -- including Tom Brady and Russell Wilson -- have donated money to Hamlin's Chasing M's Foundation, which, as of Thursday afternoon, had raised more than $7.5 million.
