Damar Hamlin’s Toy Drive Receives Millions in Donation, Hours After Suffering Near Death Experience

Vigil Held Following Hospitalization of Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin
Vigil Held Following Hospitalization of Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin

The most frightening thing to ever happen on a football field took place in Monday night's game in Cincinnati. Midway through the first quarter, Damar Hamlin nearly passed away.

Damar Hamlin made a clean tackle on Tee Higgins. After the play, he rose to his feet but then quickly collapsed.

It was an odd sight, but it quickly became concerning when he appeared unresponsive. He suffered a cardiac arrest -- a heart attack.

CPR was performed on Hamlin, and it was later reported that he was resuscitated twice Monday night. His heart stopped on that football field!

Everyone, especially players, are well aware of the dangers that come with playing football, but no one suiting up for that Monday Night game thought they would be putting their life or anyone else's in jeopardy.



The Impact of Damar Hamlin’s Heart Attack

Hamlin was rushed to the hospital after being resuscitated. He is currently on a ventilator and in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

The entire league has rallied around the Bills and Hamlin. It's a touching sight as Bills Mafia -- Buffalo's fanbase -- is known for their charity whenever something tragic happens to a player in the league.

Hamlin started a toy drive back in 2020, and as of Wednesday morning, the donations topped $6 million. This is following the $3 million raised within hours of Hamlin going down on Monday night.

These donations are an incredible way for fans across the world to show their support for Hamlin.

Some of the notable names and donations on the list are Tom Brady with $10,000, Patriots owner Robert Kraft with $18,003, Russell Wilson with $10,000, and pro wrestler Chris Jericho with two donations totaling $10,000.

Those that want to contribute can find the link here.

How to Proceed

It's NFL protocol for a five-minute break and the game to proceed after a player is carted off the field.

However, that is after something like a concussion. A heart attack has never happened on an NFL field, so it was unclear what would happen next.

The players and coaches decided they did not want to play, so the game had to be suspended. It's hard to predict what will happen this weekend, as players all over the league will have trouble finding the motivation to take the field for Week 18.


Quick Links