Some of the injured victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, may now have Hoosier blood running through their veins.
The American Red Cross of the Indiana Region and the Indiana Blood Center are among the blood banks across the country that sent blood and plasma to OneBlood, a blood bank that services hospitals in the Orlando area.
Thousands of Florida residents also lined up outside blood donation clinics to donate Sunday and Monday after the early Sunday morning shooting at a gay nightclub left 49 people dead, along with the gunman, and dozens injured.
“A tragedy like Orlando can be a very powerful light that shines on this day-to-day need,” said Andrea Fagan, director of public relations and marketing for the Indiana Blood Center. “I think a tragedy like this brings out a really powerful need in people to somehow do something to help.”
The summer is always a difficult time of year for blood banks, said Duchess Adjei, regional communication director for the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross. Schools, which provide a substantial donor base, are out; donors are on vacation; and this year, blood banks are also limited by the need to ship blood to areas affected by the Zika virus.
Nationally, the Red Cross is collecting blood at about 8 percent below its target need, and in Indiana, the Red Cross is at about 13 percent below its target need.