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Damar Hamlin remains in hospital after suffering a heart attack during Monday night’s game but is showing “tremendous progress” in his recovery.
Sky Sports’ Phoebe Schecter, who was an intern on the Buffalo Bills’ coaching staff from 2018 to 2019, offered insight into what has been a very difficult few days for the team and the NFL world following Damar Hamlin’s heart attack on Monday night…
I watched the game live. I, like everyone when I first saw it happen, had no idea what was going on.
It was very scary for everyone. such uncertainty. As you watch, they play clips of the players’ reactions and you can tell that this is not a normal injury. It really makes you wary.
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Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin was taken to the hospital after suffering a heart attack during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL.
Seeing my teammates, who I’ve worked with since day one for them in the league, like that – Josh Allen, Tre’Davious White, Dion Dawkins – seeing my teammates get tired, I feel emotional. And still do.
He felt a heavy and helpless situation, unable to do anything. I also felt weak, because I just wanted to show my support and tell everyone ‘it’s going to be okay’.
In sport, we have been through the same situation before with Christian Eriksen and Fabrice Muamba having gone through something similar. The way Damar wakes up and then immediately collapses, you know the gravity of the situation and you don’t know if he’s going to be okay. That has been difficult for the past few days.
Christian Eriksen is back in football after suffering a heart attack on the pitch while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020
Whether you like sports, or football, you can’t watch and not immediately feel the emotions of everyone. And you could hear a pin drop in that stadium, even though there were thousands of people.
You worry about how long the road to recovery seems for this young 24-year-old. What will her nervous state be like if and when she returns? That’s why the progress that has been made is great to hear.
Once he was able to write, his first question was, ‘Did we win?’ That’s brilliant!
Then have Damar, and his family, come on Zoom and talk to the team and update them on what they’re doing, as well as show their gratitude, which has helped the team. This was his first real relationship with Damar since the incident.
Damar’s father [Mario Hamlin] said that earlier in the week, that Damar wants them to work hard, get back to practice and beat it [New England] Patriots.
By using, ‘let’s do this for Damar, let’s do this for number 3’, which will be done in this game on Sunday.
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The Buffalo Bills practiced on Thursday for the first time since teammate Damar Hamlin suffered a heart attack on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Buffalo already has a sports psychologist on staff, but now the league is offering more mental health professionals to the team, bringing more people into the building to give them people to talk to.
It’s still very emotional and those who pay must think, going to this game, if what happened to someone who is young, fit and healthy – an innocuous interception – then it can happen to me. He needs to be able to get past that because it’s a scary mindset.
I have been able to talk to some of the guys, and the coach – who almost forgot; they will see Damar as one of their sons – and they will just try to focus on the task at hand, work together and communicate.
It’s a strong thing for Damar, but knowing that it’s okay is okay. Especially at the beginning of the week, when there is uncertainty about where he is.
What are the chances, that on the third day, No 3 will open his eyes! However, until now, people do not know how to act. Should we practice? Why not?
The team has made sure to stay united, all pulling together for each other. That has made things better.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott is “the epitome of a great leader” according to Phoebe Schecter
I’m not surprised. They have great leadership in the building. You’ve seen it with this week’s press conference. Trainer [Sean] McDermott is just one example of a great leader. And in unprecedented times, finding the right one is not easy.
From day one, when I was with the team, coach McDermott talked about values and confidence, along with the vision for the team. You just hang on every word he says, because you really believe in him.
He is a big, confident and strong man – and he is willing to take on any responsibility.
It should start from the top. And if the Bills have someone like the example of coach McDermott to see and look up to every day, show this young man the way – and still manage to be vulnerable – that is how to build confidence.
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Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said his thoughts and prayers are with Damar Hamlin after the Buffalo Bills star suffered a heart attack against his sideline.
All of these pieces, which have been built into the organization at McDermott for years, now appear in this kind of situation.
A prayer circle in the field as the ambulance leaves with Damar, who is very powerful. Every member of Bill’s staff was together. There aren’t many teams where you experience that kind of unity – it takes years to build.
And you can see in all the different things the Bills have to deal with this season. Suffering has not stopped for them. Whether it was not being able to make it home from a game in Chicago for Christmas, or having to fly to Detroit early because of a blizzard, or because of injuries to key players including Von Miller and Micah Hyde.
I know every team has some difficulties. But it’s part of this team’s DNA.
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Niagara Falls, Old County Hall and Damai Bridge in Buffalo City were lit up blue in support of Damar Hamlin who suffered a heart attack.
The people of Buffalo, and the Bills Mafia, they live for the team. They were there to meet him at the airport after the road game at 2/3am, waiting for the guys to get off the plane. The team is very involved with the community, and vice versa.
And it’s incredible, not just the soccer community, not just the league, but people all over the world have donated millions to Damar’s GoFundMe page – even The Rock!
It’s unbelievable how beautiful people are when they pull together like this. It was as if the bat signal went up and everyone came to Damar’s aid. How powerful is it?
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LeBron James is sending his thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family after the Buffalo Bills player suffered a heart attack during an NFL game.
It really makes you evaluate and appreciate life when things like this happen. You just think how one event can affect so many different people.
The way the medical staff handled everything on Monday night was unbelievable. The speed with which they were able to get to Damar and start CPR, and get an AED, was incredible.
Denny [Kellington]the person who gave CPR to really save Damar, rightly gets a lot of praise.
CPR should be performed within minutes and you should have an AED on site. Now we see more, in public places, but it is still necessary. It is the key between life and death in a situation like this.
As for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots, I know from my experience with the Bills that they will be desperate for win number 3.
I send Damar and his family all my thoughts and prayers.
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