Damar Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser receives over $3.3 million in donations just hours after Bills safety's collapse due to cardiac arrest
Damar Hamlin suffered a frightening injury in Monday's game between his Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. After being transported to the hospital, NFL fans took to the internet to raise a ton of money for his toy fundraiser.
Like many NFL stars, Hamlin also has a charity. He raises money to buy toys for children in need. After his injury, which forced the NFL to postpone the game, fans showed their support financially.
One Twitter user wrote:
"Seeing ALL the speculation makes me sick and then I see this. His toy drive is up to $3 million and I just made a donation. Let’s make this young man happy when, not if, he recovers."
Hamlin is currently in the hospital, but when he recovers he will likely have even more than the more than $3.3 million available in his toy drive.
It is currently unclear exactly what the NFL's plans are moving forward, as this situation is unprecedented.
What happened to Damar Hamlin?
Damar Hamlin made a tackle on Tee Higgins after recording a catch in the first quarter on Monday. It is his second year in the league and he has assumed a starting role.
After the tackle, he got up and almost immediately fell back down on the field. Medical staff rushed out to help him and reportedly administered CPR on the field for several minutes.
An ambulance was brought onto the field and he was rushed to the hospital, where it is reported that he is in critical condition. He suffered cardiac arrest and was not breathing on his own for a long time.
Rumors surfaced that the NFL wanted the game to resume after a brief warmup, but that has since been debunked.
Players on both teams were shocked with what had happened and clearly not prepared to resume play.
Eventually, the NFL decided to call it there and decide exactly what to do at a later date. However, this is one of the final games this season and carries big playoff implications, so it will likely be played soon.
Damar Hamlin is currently still in the hospital receiving care.