Damar Hamlin's Family Breaks Their Silence On His Frightening On-Field Collapse

The NFL, and the entire world of sports, came to a standstill when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2. The scary on-field injury happened after he tackled Bengals player Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the highly-anticipated game. Hamlin was given on-field CPR, per Fox News. Eventually, the game between the two AFC rivals was suspended as Hamlin was rushed to the hospital. In the early hours of January 3, the Bills released a statement clarifying that he "suffered a cardiac arrest," and that he was "currently sedated and listed in critical condition."

Unfortunately, facing adversity was nothing new for the Hamlin family. Throughout his childhood, Hamlin had endured plenty of loss. Growing up, three of his friends were shot and killed, as he was raised in McKees Rocks, a rough town outside of Pittsburgh. "I would just really give all that credit to my parents, that's really like the biggest difference that I've seen in everyone's lives that was around me growing up," the 24-year-old told the Democrat and Chronicle after cracking an NFL roster. "There were times where I could have steered left or steered right but my parents were always there to straighten me out," Hamlin added.

A video that epitomized the NFL player's close relationship with his family went viral on Twitter after his incident, as it showed him exchanging hugs with his loved ones before a game. Later, the Hamlin family addressed the public. 

The day after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field and was rushed to the hospital, his family released a statement. "On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time," they wrote (via Bleacher Report). "We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach Taylor and the Bengals for everything they've done," they added, while showing appreciation for both franchises. "Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us ... We will release updates as soon as we have them."

Shortly after Hamlin's harrowing on-field collapse, his "The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive" on GoFundMe received an enormous amount of donations. The stated goal for the page originally created as a toy drive was $2,500, but the GoFundMe has received millions (and counting). Hamlin's family used the page to update fans. "[The GoFundMe] has received renewed support in light of Damar's current battle and we can't thank all of you enough," they wrote. Funds would be used for both "community initiatives" and to aid the Hamlins while the Buffalo Bill was hospitalized. "This is the only current fund that is being used by the Hamlin Family," the page stated.

After the Hamlins' public address was released, Mike Brown, the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, released a touching statement of his own.