American footballer, Damar Hamlin, on ventilator, communicates in writing: Doctors

Doctors have disclosed that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is still on a ventilator.

The doctors said on Thursday that Hamlin is able to communicate in writing, but is not speaking.

“He is unable to speak with us yet as he still has a breathing tube in and we’re still assisting him with ventilation,” Dr. Timothy Pritts of UC Health said.

When he began to wake up, the first question he wrote on a clipboard was, “Did we win?”

UC Health Dr. William Knight said the immediate response following Hamlin’s collapse made a difference in how he is recovering.

“The fact that he had highly trained professionals from the Buffalo Bills in addition to having paramedics, emergency physicians, respiratory therapists, all right at his bedside in less than a minute from the collapse — that speaks to that ability that demonstrates that he had good perfusion to his brain that led to no identifiable neurologic deficit,” Knight said.

“It’s been very powerful.” Doctor says he can feel the community rallying around his staff

The medical team at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center has been moved by the outpouring of support for Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, a doctor said Thursday.

“It’s been very powerful,” said Dr. William Knight, who serves as the lead physician and professor of emergency medicine at UC Health.

“We have been surrounded by a great … team. Dr. (Timothy) Pritts and I have been able to get to know this amazing family and this amazing organization, in a matter of 48 hours having friends and having family,” Knight said.

“But then looking outside, I mean all I have to do is look over my left shoulder, and I see vigils and posters and well-wishers, and the food that has showed up at the hospital for the support for the family, and for the emergency department and for the surgical ICU team,” the doctor continued.

Damar Romeyelle Hamlin is an American football safety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

BBC