Bills safety Damar Hamlin has returned to Buffalo after being released from an Ohio hospital

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Doctors treating Damar Hamlin said the Bills safety was transferred to a Buffalo hospital on Monday, a sign of significant progress after a week his heart stops and he needs to be resuscitated on the field during the Cincinnati game.

Hamlin was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in the morning and flown to Western New York, where he will continue his recovery. He was listed in stable condition at Buffalo General Medical Center.

“I can confirm that he is doing well. And this is the beginning of the next phase of his recovery,” said Dr. William Knight, one of his doctors in Cincinnati.

Doctors said Hamlin has been walking since Friday, eating normal food and undergoing therapy. They said he followed a normal or even accelerated recovery trajectory after cardiac arrest, which is considered a life-threatening event, and that a normal recovery can be measured in weeks to months.

“We continue to be thrilled with his recovery,” said Dr. Timothy Pritts.

Hamlin returned a day after rooting for the Bills from his hospital bed during the regular season 35-23 win over the New England Patriots. The game proved to be a cathartic outpouring of support for Bill and Hamlin.

Hamlin was so excited watching teammate Nyheim Hines return the kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown that “he jumped up and down, got out of his chair, turned off all the alarms in the ER,” he said with a laugh. Prits.

Pritts said it was too early to comment on the potential cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.

On Sunday, the Bills wore Hamlin’s No. 3 patches on their jerseys and honored their teammate by raising three fingers in the final minutes, while tight end Dawson Knox celebrated his touchdown by forming a heart shape with his hands. Fans joined in, many holding red hearts and #3 signs.

“Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was a really amazing feeling,” Hamlin said in a tweet On Monday, he announced that he was going home to Buffalo “with a lot of love in my heart.

“The same love that you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to give back to the world more.”

The 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh area has made significant progress in his recovery after spending his first two days at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center under sedation and breathing through a ventilator.

He was awakened Wednesday night and eventually was able to grab people’s hands. By Friday, Hamlin was able to breathe on his own and even addressed the team via video conference, telling the Bills, “I love you guys.”

The latest update from doctors was on Saturday, when they described Hamlin’s neurological function as “excellent”, although he remained in critical condition.

Later that day, Hamlin tweeted, “Love is coming back into the world 3 times over…thankful to everyone who reached out and said a prayer. It will make me stronger on the road to recovery, keep praying for me!”

The NFL will support Hamlin during all Week 18 games, including a pregame moment of support by painting Hamlin’s No. 3 on the 30-yard line and pregame jerseys with the words “Love for Damar 3.”

Hamlin’s heart stopped Monday night after what appeared to be a routine tackle in the first quarter against the Bengals. The game was initially suspended and then officially canceled later this week.

The news of Hamlin’s release from the hospital in Cincinnati was met with enthusiasm.

“It’s unbelievable,” Bengals coach Zach Taylor said.

“I mean, just think about it — that was a week, not even a week ago. There’s nobody in this room who would have expected him to be in Buffalo,” he added. “God is great. He works miracles. It’s definitely a miracle. … And just an amazing moment for Damar.”