App users, tap here to watch video report.
JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) — We’re hearing from Buffalo Bills fans in Jamestown who are devastated following Defensive Back Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, which left the player in critical condition on Monday night.
Lifelong Buffalo Bills fan Nick Rein tells us he could not sleep after watching the medical emergency on fold on national television.
“I couldn’t believe what I was watching honestly,“ explained Rein. “It’s something that you don’t want to see no matter who, no matter what team this is. You don’t want to see anything like that happen to any player.”
Rein feels this transcends football, with a life now on the line.
“This is bigger than Buffalo, this is worldwide,“ stated Rein. “How many people worldwide saw what happened last night, it’s more than football, I don’t know what else to say, It’s above football now, this is someone’s life, this is a 24-year-old kid, that’s fighting for his life right now.”
Just hours after Hamlin was carted off the field, a GoFundMe for the Defensive Back’s toy drive started receiving tons of donations, with the fundraiser collecting at time of reporting, over $4 million dollars of donations from across the nation, and world.
“That’s the only way that people know how to give back right now,” explained Rein. “Because we all feel helpless, there’s no other way to do it.”
This fan mirrors what he has seen across the community: shock, concern and compassion for Damar Hamlin.
“No matter who I talk to, everybody is speechless about it,” stated Rein. “Nobody really has the right words to say but, hug your families, it’s instances like this that make you realize that life is precious, you never know when it’s your time.”
As of our newscast, Hamlin is listed in critical condition at UC Medical Center in Cincinnati.
Leave a Reply