White House weighs in on horrific game-stopping injury to NFL player
Christian Datoc
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The White House extended prayers to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin but declined to comment further Tuesday on his horrific injury in Monday night’s game.
Hamlin remains in critical condition after going into cardiac arrest during the first quarter of the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The NFL suspended play Monday night following the injury and announced Tuesday that the game would not resume during Week 18 of the season.
FAMILY OF INJURED BILLS SAFETY RELEASES STATEMENT ON CARDIAC ARREST
Hamlin was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after collapsing in the first quarter and could not resume breathing without assistance upon departing for the hospital.
“So certainly 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,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in Tuesday’s press briefing when asked for a reaction to the situation.
“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,” she continued. “I’m not going to get ahead and lean into any hypotheticals, but what we are praying for and hoping for is that his health improves.”
“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,” Hamlin’s family said Tuesday.
“We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar,” their statement continued. “We feel so blessed to be a part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support. We also want to thank Coach Taylor and the Bengals for everything they’ve done.”
Some medical experts have said they believe Hamlin suffered commotio cordis, wherein blunt force trauma to the chest causes the heart to stop beating.
The NFL faced serious scrutiny for the length of time it took to postpone the remainder of Monday’s game. Originally, officials informed both teams they would receive five minutes to warm up again before resuming play, but coaches for both teams pulled their players off the field.
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You can watch Tuesday’s briefing in full below.
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