CINCINNATI — With Damar Hamlin seeing what doctors described as “remarkable improvement” a feeling of relief was expressed by Buffalo Bills players and fans across the globe Thursday evening.
People who have been posting signs and messages of support outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center or sending their support via social media seemed to breathe a collective sigh.
"My daughter was saying prayers and I told her the doctor heard 'em," said Dan Hunt, a Western New York native now living in Cincinnati with his wife, Christa, and two young kids Eli and Emma.
The Hunt family was astounded to hear the good news shared about Hamlin's recovery. Dan and Christa recall smiling and laughing when they heard that his first question for the UCMC staff was, "did we win?"
Dan and Eli were at the game Monday night and saw Hamlin collapse on the field. It was his son's first Buffalo Bills experience and while Dan was hopeful about Hamlin's recovery, what happened was a lot for his children to process.
"The hope I have now is something that I didn't think I'd have three days after seeing what happened to him on the field," he said.
Inspired by the good news, the Hunts came out to show their support Thursday night and posted new signs along a fence near the hospital that's become a makeshift memorial for Hamlin. The signs thank the medical staff and the Bills and Bengals staff who acted so quickly that night.
Christa Hunt, who grew up in Olean said.
"Buffalo has been through a lot and living here we feel sometimes there's not much that we can do but what we can do is come down and support our family our Bills family."
She added, "we've raised our kids to be Bills fans here in Cincinnati so it's showing our small support."
And while it may be small, it has been meaningful. Two doctors who spoke during a press conference Thursday said that they've been amazed by the support for Hamlin and enjoy looking out at the memorial.
"Steelers fans have come down, we've had Browns fans, Giants fans, we've had Chargers fans," said Billy Jeffers, who has visited the hospital every day since Hamlin was admitted.
After three days of devotion from all across the globe, doctors and Hamlin's family asked that the prayer continue as things shift toward recovery.
"I think that we'll be back here maybe in a few days or a couple of weeks and you know welcome him out of the hospital," Dan Hunt said.
Jeffers added: "I'm still here and I'm not leaving until he walks out just like he did at the start of that football game."