Damar Hamlin gets his heart hands symbol tattooed onto his neck, a year to the day that he went into cardiac arrest playing for Buffalo Bills in NFL

Damar Hamlin has a tattoo of his heart-hands symbol on his neck, a year to the day he went into cardiac arrest while playing for the Buffalo Bills against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The tattoo features the symbol that Hamlin, 25, was depicted in multiple photos on his road to recovery, and an inset of an electrocardiogram in the center.

Hamlin's tattoo artist, Alexander Brenes, shared photos of him inking the Bills player with the caption, “1 year later still locked up.”

The Bills safety suffered cardiac arrest during last year's NFL game while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.

Hamlin would later reveal that the tackle would cause commotio cordis — “a direct hit to a specific point in your heart rate that causes cardiac arrest,” he told reporters in April as he underscored his desire to return to the NFL.

Hamlin's tattoo artist shared photos of him inking the Bills man with the poignant tattoo

Hamlin poses for a photo with his tattoo artist, Alexander Brenes, after getting his new ink

“Five to seven seconds later you fall out and that's pretty much what everyone saw on January 2 this year,” he added. “I died on national television.”

Hamlin's recovery was remarkable: On January 5 – three days after his collapse – his breathing tube was removed.

Four days later, on January 9, Hamlin returned to Buffalo and was transferred from Cincinnati to a regional hospital.

In the aftermath of the event, attention on Hamlin's GoFundMe page – set up to raise money for his pursuit of M's foundations – grew and more than $9 million was donated, far exceeding the initial $2,500 goal .

Hamlin wrote a message on Tuesday thanking fans for their donations.

“As a donor to my charity, I didn't want to start the new year without reaching out to you personally to say thank you,” he said.

“The past year has been an incredible journey for my family and me, and the growth of my charity – through the generosity of people like you – has been a great blessing to me.

“In addition to my return to the NFL this fall, I have spent time creating my charity's mission, which focuses on empowering youth and uplifting those facing adversity.

Hamlin often made his heart hands a symbol in photos documenting his remarkable recovery

Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after tackling Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals

“One of the things that has inspired me the most are the real-life stories of people who were inspired to get CPR training because of my experience, then turned around and saved someone else's life this year. It's a blessing to be a blessing, and I'm so grateful to have this platform to give back to others like people did for me growing up.

“On behalf of my family and me, thank you for being an important part of this incredible journey. We are proud to work with so many people to make an impact and appreciate your support.

“As we begin a new year, I am humbled, honored, and deeply committed to driving change that will protect children. Thank you for being part of my journey; your continued support makes initiatives like this possible.”