Damar Hamlin has reportedly opened his eyes after several days in intensive care - and even managed to pen a three-word note to medical staff.
The good news was revealed during a press conference held on Thursday (January 5) by Dr. Timothy Pritts, a trauma surgeon at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Hamlin was transported to following his shock collapse on the field.
The 24-year-old had fallen flat on his back in cardiac arrest following what appeared to be a routine tackle, with the NFL suspending the game indefinitely.
The NFL has since announced that the game has been ruled a 'no contest', with the Bills and Bengals playing one less game than the rest of the league.
According to Dr. Pritts, the young NFL star - still breathing with the aid of a ventilator - wrote on a note: "Did we win?"
Medical staff were said to have replied: "Yes, Damar, you won. You've won the game of life."
As Pritts confidently stated in the press conference: "Not only are the lights on, but he's home [...] He continues to be critically ill and undergo care in the ICU. He still has significant progress he needs to make. This marks a turning point in his ongoing care."
During a separate press conference with the NFL Players Association, medical director Dr. Thom Mayer stated, via the Los Angeles Times: "While there's a long way to go, all signs are optimistic, and point to what is likely to be a full neurologic recovery, and we've got to get there, but so far things have been very, very positive."
Mayer continued: "It is unusual and quite unique. The good news is that if that continues to be the presumptive working diagnosis, that is so exceedingly rare that someone who had it would not be at risk for the future. If that indeed turns out to be the bottom line diagnosis, then there's been 24,000 men who have played this game in the National Football League and this has never happened before, so it would be one in 24,000 instances."
Bengals' wide receiver Tee Higgins - who had tackled Hamlin prior to his cardiac arrest - told reporters this week that the news of Hamlin's three-word note "made him smile."
As previously reported, medical experts have said that Hamlin's condition appears typical of commotio cordis, a phenomenon whereby sudden blunt trauma to the chest can cause the heart and blood flow to stop, often resulting in death.
Since his distressing injury, Hamlin's annual community toy drive has raised just shy of $7.8 million. The drive was started by the sports star in 2020 as a way for him to give back to his local community, delivering Christmas gifts to the children who were hit the hardest by the pandemic. His initial GoFundMe goal stood at just $2,500.
"As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me," Hamlin had written in the fundraiser's description.
Hopefully those three words written by Hamlin this week have given us all renewed hope in the wake of such a devastating situation.
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