President Joe Biden and his White House aides are hopeful that Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin recovers after he collapsed on the field during a nationally televised National Football League game and was taken to the hospital.
(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden and his White House aides are hopeful that Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin recovers after he collapsed on the field during a nationally televised National Football League game and was taken to the hospital.
“The president has seen the horrific news of Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during the game last night — it was, as I said, horrific and millions of people saw that across the country,” Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in a briefing on Tuesday. “We hope his condition and his health improves quickly, and like the rest of the nation, our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his teammates.”
After making a tackle during the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday evening, Hamlin jumped to his feet before falling backward on the field, where he lay unresponsive.
An ambulance drove onto the field and Hamlin, 24, was transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center with a police escort. ESPN announced shortly after 10 p.m. that the NFL had suspended the game.
The Bills said in a statement that Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and his heartbeat was restored on the field.
“Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center,” the team said in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. “We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far.”
Read more: Hamlin Collapse Sparks New Concerns About Injuries on NFL Fields
Jordon Rooney, Hamlin’s marketing representative, said on “Good Morning America” Tuesday that family and friends “are taking it minute by minute, hour by hour.”
Rooney shared a statement from the family on Twitter.
“On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country,” the Hamlin family said.
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