Brevard blood donations skyrocket after Orlando massacre

ROCKLEDGE — On June 12, longtime blood donor Deborah Neuman heard about that morning's Orlando mass shooting after she left Sunday services at Cross Bridge Church in Rockledge. Wasting little time, she called the city's OneBlood center, but no one answered the phone.

So Neuman drove there — and was stunned to see dozens of people packing the parking lot, waiting their turns to step inside and give blood for the shooting victims.

"I was totally amazed, walking by these people standing for hours. Just standing for hours. It just blew me away," recalled Neuman, who works as a stocker at Walmart Supercenter in Viera.

"I wish people would donate more often. I hadn't seen that many people since 9-11," she said.

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Neuman spoke Wednesday morning while reading a Real Simple magazine, flexing a squeeze bulb and donating platlets at the Rockledge OneBlood center, 17 days after the Pulse nightclub massacre that killed 49 victims and injured at least 53 more. She is not alone: The nonprofit reports that Brevard County blood donations remain at elevated levels since the tragedy.

From Sunday, June 12 — the day of the Pulse mass shooting — through Sunday, June 19, 1,571 people registered to donate at Brevard County's OneBlood centers in Rockledge, Melbourne, Titusville and the nonprofit's Big Red Bus bloodmobiles.

That's more than double the 717 Space Coast donors who had registered during the previous eight-day period (June 4-11).

What's more, during the eight-day stretch from June 20 through Monday, another 1,177 donors signed up. That's a 64 percent increase compared with those June 4-11 totals.

"We saw an immediate boost in Brevard County. People came and rolled up their sleeves and said, 'Look, we've got to make a difference. We've got to do something,'" said Pat Michaels, OneBlood spokesman.

"We still see a higher number than normal. And you have to understand that the summer months are challenging for blood centers. Because high schools are out, colleges are out, snowbirds are back north. And we don't normally see the amount of blood donations we do during the rest of the year," Michaels said.

OneBlood provides blood for more than 200 hospital partners across most of Florida and small portions of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.

During the week after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, OneBlood collected more than 28,000 units of blood across its geographic network. The organization recorded a 40 percent increase in first-time donors and a 72 percent increase in donors giving O negative, the universal blood type.

Michaels labeled the donor demand "surreal," and he said OneBlood's website crashed twice when too many users tried to schedule appointments.

"People are responding. And giving blood now is understood a little better, because I think the disaster involved so many people who were hurt and needed transfusions. And I think people now understand that it's a good idea to do this going forward," Michaels said.

"The time to be ready for unforseen disaster is to donate blood ahead of time," he said.

Suntree resident Robert Adams, a retired chiropractor, tried to donate blood a few days after the shootings at a Big Red Bus at Walmart Supercenter on Wickham Road in Melbourne — but the crowd was too large. He was told to go home and make an appointment later.

Adams did so and gave blood Wednesday morning at the Rockledge OneBlood center. So did Bill Hausmann, a retired teacher who taught at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High and Edgewood Jr./Sr. High. Hausmann watched "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" on a tablet while donating A positive blood.

Blood donations soar in Brevard following Pulse shooting

Hausmann has given more than 20 gallons of blood over the years.

"Once you've donated, you find out how easy it is," he said.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter

Brevard OneBlood centers

Melbourne: 789 S. Babcock St.

Rockledge: 956 U.S. 1

Titusville: 3880 S. Washington Ave.

Generally, healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. To schedule an appointment, visit oneblood.org or call 888-9DONATE (888-936-6283).

Holiday weekend bloodmobiles

SATURDAY

West Melbourne: Phantom Fireworks, 4433 W. New Haven Ave. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

West Melbourne: Publix, 145 Palm Bay Road. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Viera: Moe's Southwest Grill, 2230 Town Center Ave. Hours: Noon to 6 p.m.

SUNDAY

Viera: Publix Viera, 5380 Stadium Parkway. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

West Melbourne: Sam's Club, 4255 W. New Haven Ave. Hours: Noon to 6 p.m.

Micco: South Mainland Community Center, 3700 Allen Ave. Hours: 3:30 to 8 p.m.

Suntree: Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road. Hours: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY

West Melbourne: Publix, 2261 W. New Haven Ave. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Melbourne: VFW Post 4206, 3201 Dairy Road. Hours: Noon to 5 p.m.

Titusville: YMCA Family Center, 2400 Harrison St. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.