HUMANITY SHINES: Fans flood Damar Hamlin’s charity with millions following collapse
Amidst the shock and horror of the frightening on-field collapse and cardiac arrest of 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin Monday night, humanity shone as fans flocked to the footballer’s online toy drive fundraiser, donating millions in a few short hours.
Hamlin’s GoFundMe, The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive, was started when he became a pro-baller in 2020 so he could give back to his Pennsylvania community and never forget his roots.
“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me. I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact,” Hamlin said.
And after his horrid Monday night accident in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, that impact was felt bigtime.
About an hour after Hamlin collapsed and was taken to the UC Medical Center, the charity was at $74,000.
By 1 a.m. it was over $2 million.
As of this writing, it was at $5,219,470.
The original goal was $2500.
As of Tuesday morning, Hamlin’s condition was still listed as critical, but experts say the 9 minutes of CPR on the field “undoubtedly saved his life,” wrote Sports Injury Central, which explained what likely led to Hamlin’s collapse:
“The heart attack was likely caused by a cardiac contusion with potential commotio cordis (electrical signal gone haywire). AED (automatic external defibrillators) are routinely on both NFL sidelines and even brought on the plane and bus with the traveling team. The defibrillation (shock) happened on the field to convert Hamlin’s rhythm to allow his heart to beat again. Commotio cordis leading to heart attack has a significant mortality rate but with the witnessed arrest and immediate care, Hamlin seems headed for a positive outcome.”
Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
You can donate to Hamlin’s charity here.
