As a part of Damar Hamlin’s road to recovery, getting a tattoo was an essential aspect of the journey.
On January 2, 2023, during a Week 17 Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the athlete went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field.
He was transferred to the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, where he underwent medical treatment and used a ventilator. Throughout this process, doctors said he had a long way to go and was relearning how to speak.
Once he was strong enough, he was transferred to the Buffalo General Medical Center. He underwent various medical tests but was discharged from the hospital on January 11th. While he began slowly but surely attending more events and games, he was still monitored closely by medical professionals. “Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly to ensure there are no setbacks or after-effects,” a friend of Hamlin’s told the Associated Press.
Since his reintegration into society, Hamlin has opened up about his journey to recovery and his appreciation for those who supported him through the traumatic event.
“I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of all the love, all the support, and everything that’s just been coming in my way,” the football player said in his first public speaking appearance. “What happened to me on ‘Monday Night Football’ I feel is a direct example of God using me as a vessel to share my passion and my love directly from my heart with the entire world, and I’m able to give it back to kids and communities all across the world who need it the most, and that’s always been my dream.”
“I will continue to do wonderful and great things,” Hamlin continued. “I couldn’t do this without any of the support and the love, and I can’t wait to continue to take y’all on this journey with me.”
What else did Damar Hamlin do to get him through the hard times?
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Many fans have looked at this athlete’s road to recovery, wondering how he got through this experience. While Hamlin has voiced support from family and friends as essential, getting a new tattoo to represent his journey was also important.
In February, the Buffalo Bills star could be seen rocking new ink, an astronaut in space that was placed on his hand to represent the difficult journey to recovery. The piece was completed by artist Andres Ortega out at Onder Ink in Arizona and turned out beautiful.
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