Dressler says once United Blood Bismarck was notified of the shooting, the clinic sent pints of blood to try and help.
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Generosity from other blood banks, cities and communities is what helps trauma victims to survive and then hospitals can continue supplying all patients with blood they need to recover.
But gay-rights advocates and many medical groups have been urging the FDA to lift the ban for years. The US Food and Drug Administration had a decades-old lifetime ban for men who have had sex with other men.
Purpura says they did get new donors because of the Orlando tragedy.
Officials said there are some people who would like to donate blood but aren’t eligible, including several members of the LGBTQ community, who the shooting deeply impacted.
Before sending blood elsewhere, The Blood Connection ensures that the need is met at the hospitals it serves.
Kurtis Gunwall has O- blood which is the universal donor. In celebration of this day the American Red Cross is encouraging people to donate all month long.
Simons said, no matter the blood type, every donation helps.
She said blood gathered at their donor centers helps save the lives of people all over the Mid-South.
“We empathize with those who might wish to donate”, they wrote, “but reiterate that at this time no one who needs blood is doing without it”.
Democratic Rep. Jared Polis is calling for a relaxation of FDA restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men in the aftermath of Sunday’s shootings at a nightclub in Orlando.
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Irish says they’ve experienced a two percent decrease in donations because of people traveling to Zika-infected countries. “We always need all types of blood types”, said Justin Irish, a United Blood Service donor recruitment representative.
