CINCINNATI — As Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition, students at a Mount Lookout elementary school are hoping to spread some joy and well wishes for Hamlin and his family.
Second graders in Beth Martin's class at the Kilgour School broke out their glue stickers, markers and pencils Wednesday to make "get well soon" cards for the 24-year-old.
"You are so brave," one student wrote. "Even though I am a Bengals fan, I am still a fan for you. Love, your friend Beckett."
The cards were prompted after Martin's students came to her Tuesday morning asking questions about the game and Hamlin going into cardiac arrest.
"So we sat down, we talked about it," Martin said. "And they really wanted to do something, you know, people were donating money, people were praying, and they talked about those things."
During the first quarter of the Bills' Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin tackled Bengals WR Tee Higgins. After the play, Hamlin got up, then he collapsed within seconds.
According to Hamlin's family, the safety had to be resuscitated twice — once on the field and again at the UC Medical Center.
The Buffalo Bills said Wednesday afternoon that Hamlin remains in the ICU after going into cardiac arrest but Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday he showed "signs of improvement."
Like many others impacted by Hamlin's situation, the students felt called to action.
"I'm hoping it makes him feel happy," another student said. "He's not from here, so I want him to feel like he's welcome here."
One student called Hamlin brave for what he went through.
"I am so sorry for what happened, but the good thing is there was a stadium full of people praying," the student said. "I hope you get well soon."
Martin said the students were excited about the cards, and it gave them a way to express their emotions.
"They were like, 'Yeah, do you think he'll read it,' and they were really excited to do their part because kids can feel helpless a lot of times," Martin said. "So this gave them a way to sort of take control and get their feelings out."
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