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Multiple vigils planned for Damar Hamlin in Cincinnati, Buffalo as fans await update on condition

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham•01/03/23•

AndrewEdGraham

On3 image
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 03: A vigil is displayed at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for football player Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills after he collapsed following a tackle during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals and was transported by ambulance to the hospital on January 03, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

What happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday night in Cincinnati is, simply, the most horrific thing most people have ever — or will ever — see on a football field. Now, a series of vigils have popped up for Hamlin after he suffered cardiac arrest following a tackle in the first quarter of a Monday Night Football game.

At 8:55 p.m. EST — exactly 24 hours after he collapsed on the field — a group will stand vigil outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where Hamlin is currently receiving care, according to ESPN’s Coley Harvey on SportsCenter. Hamlin is reportedly in critical condition and has been sedated and intubated.

Buffalo TV reporter Jeff Russo spoke with Hamlin’s aunt outside the UC Medical Center earlier in the evening.

“Keep praying for my nephew,” she said.

Along with the group standing vigil in Cincinnati, groups of fans in Buffalo have also come out to stand vigil for Hamlin. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, one group of fans came out to stand vigil in Orchard Park, New York, where the Bills stadium is.

At the center of that vigil was Jill Kelly, the wife of legendary Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.

Another vigil in Buffalo is anticipated to take place within the hour.

The NFL announced the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week

In the wake of Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field, needing CPR, and being transported to the hospital, the Monday Night Football Game between Cincinnati and Buffalo was suspended. Now, the NFL has announced that the game won’t be played this week at all.

The NFL says that this decision was made with the help of the NFLPA, both teams, and Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Along with that, the league says that it is continuing to monitor the situation as there are new developments and that the NFL will provide updates as they become available.

Goodell also sent out a memo to the league’s teams. In it, he explained Hamlin’s medical situation to teams. He also says that the decision to not play the game was so that the focus could be on Hamlin. He also made a point of offering mental health resources available to those who might need them.

As of now, there is no further information on when the Bills-Bengals game might be played, or if it will be played.