Update: Damar Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on Monday morning and transferred to a hospital in Buffalo, NY, to continue his recovery.
Hamlin, 24, collapsed during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Medics performed CPR and used a defibrillator to restore his heartbeat.
Hamlin is off the ventilator, but he still requires 28% oxygen (2 liters per minute) to maintain his blood oxygen saturation level on room air.
Hamlin was airlifted to the Cincinnati airport Monday morning for his flight to Buffalo.
“I traveled with him to the airport this morning with our UC Health Aircare and mobile care crew, including teammates who were with us on the field when Damar Hamlin collapsed,” Dr. William Knight said. “He landed safely and as standard as anybody who has gone through what he’s gone through this past week, and certainly after flying on a plane, he is going to be observed and monitored to ensure that there’s no impact on the flight of his condition or on his lungs.”
Hamlin tweeted that the staff at Buffalo General Hospital already made him feel at home.
“Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC. Happy to be back in Buffalo. The docs and nurses at Buffalo General have already made me feel at home!”
In related news, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ mock CPR celebration on Sunday angered Hamlin’s fans.
The Steelers’ mock CPR celebration came during Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns when linebacker Alex Highsmith sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Video shows a teammate giving Highsmith mock chest compressions before helping him up.
Despite defeating the Browns on Sunday, the Steelers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs.
Twitter reacted to the mock CPR celebration. One Twitter user called the team “Total trash”.
“Glad they got eliminated,” one fan wrote.
“Total trash,” another tweeted.
“Classless Steelers with the CPR celebration,” a third person wrote.
Classless Steelers with the CPR celebration pic.twitter.com/PT0hSPgwGN
— Ben Tylka (@tylkabm) January 8, 2023
The Bills honored Hamlin prior to the start of the game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Hamlin watched the game from his bed in the ICU. He shared a photo of himself with his parents.
GAMETIME!!! @BuffaloBills ? pic.twitter.com/PQYClonUHb
— ????? ?????? (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023
The Bills (12-3) won the game 35-23 to eliminate the Patriots from the playoffs.
The Bills will play the Miami Dolphins next week. A possible AFC Championship game between the Bills and No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs will be played at a neutral site after the Bills-Bengals game was canceled.
