Damar Hamlin’s Fundraiser Passes $8 Million As He Returns To Social Media
NFL fans held their breath early last week when 24-year-old Damar Hamlin suffered from cardiac arrest on the field during a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Bengals.
Ressucitan efforts began on the field that night, as fans and players watched. Eventually, an ambulance was able to transport Hamlin to the hospital where he was put on a ventilator and remained in critical condition.
It was a jarring situation, but it seems there’s a silver lining to come from it. Since that fateful night less than one week ago, Hamlin’s fans have managed to raise some $8.5 million and counting!
The fundraiser actually started back in 2020 after Hamlin created The Chasing M’s Foundation to give back to his community. He started a GoFundMe in hopes of raising $2,500 for a toy drive.
Hamlin initially wrote on the fundraiser page, “This campaign gives you the opportunity to contribute to our first initiative and positively impact children who have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 100% of the funds raised will go toward the purchase of toys for kids in need.”
According to the GoFundMe page, the foundation supports toy drives, back-to-school drives, kids’ camps, and more, but they needed funding to make a bigger impact.
Hamlin didn’t reach his goal of $2,500 at first. In fact, it wasn’t until he went into cardiac arrest on January 2, 2023, that the fundraiser began receiving attention and within days, millions of dollars worth of donations poured in. He blew through the $2,500 goal and nearly a week later, donations are continuing to pour in at an alarming rate.
While Hamlin’s medical status reminded unclear for the first days following his medical incident, CNN reports he’s now breathing on his own.
On Saturday, January 7, Hamlin made his first public return to social media, sharing a post on Instagram that read:
“When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much. The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”
Later that same day, he also took to Twitter with a message:
“The love is felt, & extremely real. No matter race or religion everybody coming together in prayer!”
The love is felt, & extremely real. No matter race or religion everybody coming together in prayer! πβ€οΈ
— πππ¦ππ« πππ¦π₯π’π§ (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023
No doubt, Hamlin has a long road to recovery ahead of him but it’s nice to see he’s slowly gaining strength and returning back to the public’s presence.
GAMETIME!!! @BuffaloBills π pic.twitter.com/PQYClonUHb
— πππ¦ππ« πππ¦π₯π’π§ (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023
The money raised on his GoFundMe fundraiser will certainly be enough to make a massive impact in his community and beyond.
