A year after the Pulse nightclub shooting, a survivor who is still in rehab is underscoring the importance of donating blood before tragedies like that happen.

  • Pulse survivor emphasizes importance of blood donation
  • Angel Colon credits blood donated before attack for saving his life, others
  • He joined community leaders in panel at blood banks conference
  • FULL COVERAGE: Pulse nightclub attack

Angel Colon participated in a panel discussion at the South Central Association of Blood Banks Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando on Friday morning.

As he continues rehabilitation, Colon said one of his missions is to explain how blood donations saved his life.

Colon received several blood transfusions after the June 2016 shooting, which helped save his life after he was shot six times in the terrorist attack that left 49 dead and more than 50 wounded.

In the first 24 hours after the shooting, more than 300 pints of blood were used to help people.

Community leaders and trauma doctors pointed out that it was the blood donations before the Pulse tragedy that saved lives. Christie Loe-Mallone, president of the South Central Association of Blood Banks, said OneBlood had asked for O-negative blood donations in the days before the attack.

“(OneBlood) was able to supply that blood because donors were able to donate two to three days before that event,” she said.

Panelists at the conference included Orlando Police Chief John Mina, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Dr. Michael Cheatham, the chief surgical quality officer at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

As Colon, who still walks with a cane and a slight limp, continues to regain his strength, he is thankful for blood donors.

"If it wasn’t for the blood that we received, a lot of us — including me — would not be here today. So it’s something very important to me, and I hold it dear and close to my heart now," Colon said.

The event was cosponsored by OneBlood.