Damar Hamlin sells 'Did We Win?' shirts to raise money for first responders
LOS ANGELES - Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is selling shirts with the iconic catchphrase "Did We Win?," to raise money for first responders and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center amid his recovery from cardiac arrest.
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"We all won," Hamlin tweeted Sunday after the Bills beat the New England Patriots 35-23. "I want to give back an ounce of the love y’all showed me. Proceeds of this shirt will go to first-responders and the UC Trauma Center. Go get yours!"
The phrase refers to one of the first questions he asked doctors upon waking up in the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during a game Jan. 2 after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn’t appear unusually violent.
Hamlin's tweet included an image of three shirts showing images of his hands forming a heart — a hospital ID tag on his right wrist — and "Did We Win?" in big print.
The NFL has rallied around Hamlin after he needed to be resuscitated following a tackle during the first quarter of that game, with fans contributing over $8.5 million to his Chasing M’s Foundation as of Sunday night.
READ MORE: Players around NFL say Damar Hamlin's injury was not Tee Higgins' fault
Hamlin has since made what doctors call a remarkable recovery, and he’s trying to re-channel the energy of his supporters to help the medical teams that saved his life. As of Saturday, he was still listed in critical condition at the UC Medical Center. His neurological function has been deemed excellent, and he is breathing fully on his own while also able to speak.
Hamlin was active on Twitter throughout Sunday’s Bills game, including posting a photo of himself preparing to watch from his hospital bed.
Hamlin is already well known for his charitable exploits. Following the news of his hospitalization, donations to an online fundraiser set up by the 24-year-old player skyrocketed.
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Hamlin set up "The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive" hoping to raise $2,500. As of Monday, Jan. 9, nearly $8.7 million had been donated by more than 244,000 donors.