Much of the country is still holding its collective breath, awaiting updates on the condition of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest after a hit on the field in Cincinnati on Monday Night Football.
Jordon Rooney, Hamlin's business manager and friend, provided one Wednesday morning saying that doctors at University of Cincinnati Medical Center "got promising readings" overnight and that "progress appears to be made."
Hamlin remains sedated and in critical condition, Rooney confirmed to ESPN's Coley Harvey.
The NFL postponed the game Tuesday, an unprecedented move in an unprecedented situation that resonates well beyond the sports world, as coaches and teammates -- and America -- struggled to understand what they had just seen unfold before their eyes, either live on the field or on live national television.
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A vigil began to grow outside the UC Medical Center, with candles dancing in the dark and signs reading, "Pray for Hamlin," with his No. 3.
Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin's uncle, provided an update on the Buffalo Bills safety Tuesday evening, saying that Hamlin remains sedated in the ICU at UC Medical Center. He added that Hamlin is on a ventilator but has improved from 100% oxygen needed to 50% oxygen needed.
"They're trying to get him to breathe on his own. So we're just kind of taking it day-by-day," Glenn told NFL Network. "I'm really, really thankful for the medical staff that's been working with him. They've been truly awesome in helping him with his recovery."
Glenn revealed that Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice — once on the field and once at the hospital.
"It's been heartbreaking. I haven't been asleep yet. I've been up for about 24 hours now," Glenn told NFL Network.
Glenn said it's been "tremendous" to see all support Hamlin has received, including the millions of dollars that have been donated to his toy drive.
"A lot of people don't get a chance to see how loved they are while they're alive," Glenn told NFL Network. "So for him to have a situation where he could've been taken away and he has a chance to come back to see all that love that he got, it's truly an amazing thing."
Marketing rep and Hamlin friend Jordon Rooney tweeted a statement earlier Tuesday afternoon that he said came directly from the injured player's family. It asked that everyone keep the Pennsylvania native in their prayers and pledged to share updates as new information becomes available. The hospital planned no briefings for Tuesday.
The rest of the Bills players and coaches returned to Buffalo. The 12-3 AFC East team said early Tuesday that the 24-year-old Hamlin had been sedated and would undergo further medical evaluation. It released an update statement later in the day indicating he had spent the night in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
His condition had not changed from critical, according to the Bills.
"Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition," the Bills tweeted shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The NFL said Tuesday that the game between the Bills and Bengals, which was postponed after Hamlin collapsed, had not yet been rescheduled. There would be no changes to the Week 18 slate, the NFL said.
The league union, the NFL Players Association, agreed with the decision to postpone, according to the NFL.
In a statement Tuesday, NFLPA said that it was focused "only on the health of our brother, Damar Hamilton."
It said it was also working with the league and both the Bills and Bengals to ensure players had any and all resources at their disposal to cope with what happened to their colleague.
