ORLANDO, Fla. – As Orlando marks 10 years since the Pulse nightclub shooting, trauma surgeons with Orlando Health are reflecting on the blood donors and community support that helped save lives in the hours and days after the tragedy.
For some survivors, the scale of the medical response is measured in the amount of blood they received while fighting to stay alive.
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“I was shot four times and I received over 40 units of blood,” recalled Pulse survivor Jeff Xcentric one year after the shooting.
Forty units of blood represents donations from 40 people, highlighting the critical role blood products played in treating victims.
Survivor Ilka Reyes recalled the extent of her injuries as well.
“I was shot nine times and I received 11 units.”
In the hours after the Pulse shooting, thousands of people lined up to donate blood across Central Florida. However, blood that helped save lives that night was already available because donors had given before the attack occurred.
“It’s important to remember that it’s the donors that came in just a few days before the tragedy. Their blood was available at the hospital immediately when those patients were coming in,” said Susan Forbes, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations of OneBlood.
Just three days before the shooting, OneBlood had issued a plea for more Type O blood donors. Then, the mass shooting created an unprecedented demand for blood products.
“We’re hit with the worst tragedy the nation had seen at the time. And the blood was saving these people’s lives. They were injured, they were shot, they needed blood, and the number one thing that the doctors were reaching for, was blood,” Forbes said.
As victims arrived at Orlando Regional Medical Center that night ten years ago, doctors and nurses used blood products at a pace they had never experienced before.
“We were making multiple trips over to ORMC when that happened. We made eight trips over there, they transfused over 440 units of blood in 24 hours. That’s not normal,” Forbes said.
Trauma surgeons with Orlando Health said the community responded quickly as news of the tragedy spread.
“I think it was over 27,000 people who ended up donating blood,” said Dr. Michael Cheatham.
According to OneBlood, more than 28,500 units of blood were collected in just a few days following the shooting.
“It was a huge donor surge that happened right after Pulse and thousands of people lined up at our donor centers,” Forbes said.
The support extended beyond blood donations. Community members looked for other ways to help victims, families and hospital workers as the city grieved.
“We had donations of food and people donated so many things. It was an unbelievable response,” said Dr. Joseph Ibrahim.
The two surgeons said the outpouring of support remains one of their strongest memories from that time.
“The community felt the pain of the victims and their families,” Cheatham said.
A decade later, those who witnessed the aftermath say the community’s response continues to stand out.
“I don’t think any community in the world has ever responded like that to a tragedy like this,” Cheatham said.
For survivors like Jeff Xcentric, the generosity of blood donors remains deeply personal.
“If it wasn’t for the donors and the people who had donated, I wouldn’t be here speaking to you right now.”
Orlando blood drive to honor Pulse remembrance
OneBlood, the City of Orlando, and Orange County are kicking off a community blood drive honoring the 10th year remembrance of Pulse today at Orlando City Hall.
The event will highlight the ongoing need for blood donations and recognize the lifesaving impact blood donors continue to have in Central Florida communities.
WHEN:
Monday, June 1, 2026
Blood Drive: 12 - 5 p.m.
WHERE:
Orlando City Hall
400 S. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801
OneBlood is also running their annual Pulse Remembrance Blood Drive from June 1 through June 12. Eligible donors can donate blood at select drives and donor centers and receive a Limited-edition Be The Pulse T-shirt and a OneBlood gift.