Damar Hamlin of the NFL commemorates the first anniversary of his cardiac arrest

Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills safety, marked the first anniversary of his near-fatal cardiac arrest with a social media post reflecting on his recovery and displaying a unique tattoo.

The Buffalo Bills safety, who fainted during a Monday night football game in January 2022, honored the one-year anniversary of his health crisis by reflecting on his rehabilitation path.

“God’s Child,” Damar captioned the image on January 2. “1 year later.”

In the carousel of photographs and videos, the 25-year-old uploaded a shot of himself standing next to a mural of himself in Buffalo, wearing a Bills uniform and his hands forming the shape of a heart—something he frequently performed in photos throughout his recuperation. He also provided photos from the hospital and a fun video of him FaceTiming his buddies.

Along with his heartfelt message, the Pennsylvania native shared his new ink, which he received just in time for the anniversary—hands forming a heart with an electrocardiogram in the center.

Damar, who was in serious condition after being tackled by Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and hospitalized for more than a week following the near-fatal event, has spoken about and pondered on how that experience finally affected his view on and off the field.

“It’s just kind of givin’ me a perspective to appreciate life a little bit more and appreciate the small things, the things that are free in life—family, time, peace, happiness, any small things,” he told E! News in an exclusive interview published Nov. 5. “It’s kind of made me more of a positive person to just have more of a positive outlook on life because life is precious and nothing’s promised for us.”

However, the incident did not keep him off the field for long.

Damar participated in his first game since the August accident, a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. He played in his first regular-season game two months later, when the Bills faced the Miami Dolphins.

“It’s what I love to do,” he said. “To be honest, it’s what I do. I tell myself all the time that after 20 years, there is nothing I can do better. That’s merely a technique for me to maintain my confidence. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”