CINCINNATI — Supporters from across the country are praying for Damar Hamlin's full recovery, and showing their support right outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Tuesday.
Fans brought and lit new candles, and added signs and balloons to pay their respects to the growing memorial near the entrance.
Hamlin, an NFL safety, collapsed in the first quarter of the Bills-Bengals game Monday night following a hit. The game has since been postponed.
Eric Wood, a former player at the University of Louisville and former Pro Bowl center with the Buffalo Bills, was at the stadium broadcasting the much-anticipated game that got off to a fast start. That's when everything changed.
"There was [originally] an energy in the atmosphere that was just incredible, and then in an instant, it was just silence," he said. "[We're now] all praying and hoping for one piece of good news to come out."
Super fan Sara Larson has been to 39 straight Bills games; she was sitting 10 rows up near the 45-yard line when the play happened in front of her. She told WHAS11 you could hear a pin drop after the incident, and soon after many fans of both teams were seen crying and hugging each other.
"You were waiting for the thumbs up," said Larson, who is also a contributor with Buffalo Rumblings and SBNation. "You were waiting for them to say he's okay."
It was one of the moments fans like Larson say will stick with them forever. She says it's a reminder of how precious life is.
"You want to think about football sometimes first, but these men have lives; they're sons, they're fathers, they're husbands, and it's in that moment nothing else matters other than making sure he's okay," she said.
Both Wood and Larson have met Hamlin, calling him a bright, talented young man who loves to smile and help kids.
Hamlin's fundraiser -- a toy drive for kids created in 2020 -- has received millions of dollars in donations since Monday night, skyrocketing from just a few thousand dollars. To donate to the Gofundme, follow this link.
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