On Monday, 24-year-old Damar Hamlin suffered a life-threatening injury that millions will never forget. Ever since, the Pennsylvania native has been on the road to recovery, trying to get back to living as normal of a life as possible.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills’ second-year safety is still in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but steadily improving to the point where he’s able to communicate either in writing or in this case, via his various social media platforms.
Continually learning of all the support he’s received from several different areas of the world, Hamlin felt compelled to thank the many new members of his fan club.
Here’s his Instagram post.
For those uninterested in trying to read the text from his post, Hamlin writes:
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much. The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
Damar Hamlin thanks public for overwhelming support
Hamlin’s ‘The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive’ is just one of the many ways the public has continued to support No. 3. The fundraiser has raised over $8.2 million in donations as of this publication.
Hamlin also shared a heartwarming screenshot of his FaceTime call with Michael Rubin (CEO of Fanatics) and hip hop artist Meek Mill, in which Hamlin can be seen with a proud smile on his face.
Related: Roger Goodell pens open letter to fans regarding Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin breathing on his own, speaking to teammates
The Buffalo Bills are set to play their regular-season finale against the New England Patriots on Sunday, but Hamlin won’t be on the field. He remains in critical condition, but his condition continues to improve to the point that he’s now breathing on his own.
Hamlin has also been able to begin speaking to his teammates and is showing zero signs of any neurological damage, with doctors continuing to be impressed with how far his recovery has progressed to this point.
His timetable to return to an NFL field remains unclear, but the most important thing is that Hamlin continues to be more and more like himself every day.
Related: Damar Hamlin’s jersey becomes best-seller on Fanatics