Man Whose Blood Donations Saved 2.4 million Babies Has Died

James Harrison, known as one of the world’s most prolific blood donors, has died at the age of 88. His family announced that he passed away peacefully in his sleep at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia, on February 17.

Harrison, often referred to as the “man with the golden arm,” had a rare antibody in his blood called Anti-D. This antibody is crucial for creating medication for pregnant women whose blood may harm their unborn babies. His donations have saved the lives of over 2 million infants.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service honored Harrison, noting that he decided to become a donor after receiving blood transfusions during a chest surgery at the age of 14. He began donating plasma at 18 and continued this practice every two weeks until he was 81.

In 2005, he set a world record for the most blood plasma donated, a title he held until 2022 when he was surpassed by a donor in the United States.

Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, shared that her father took great pride in saving lives “without any cost or pain.” She quoted him as saying, “It does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own.” Both Tracey and two of Harrison’s grandchildren have benefited from Anti-D immunizations.

Anti-D injections protect unborn babies from a serious condition called hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). This occurs when a mother’s blood is incompatible with her baby’s, leading her immune system to attack the baby’s red blood cells. Before Anti-D treatments became available in the mid-1960s, half of the babies diagnosed with HDFN did not survive.

While the reason for Harrison’s high levels of Anti-D is unclear, some believe it relates to the transfusions he received as a teen. Currently, there are fewer than 200 Anti-D donors in Australia, but they help around 45,000 mothers and babies each year.

Lifeblood, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, is collaborating with researchers to grow Anti-D antibodies in the lab, aiming to create new therapies to assist pregnant women globally. David Irving, Lifeblood’s research director, emphasized the importance of finding donors who can consistently produce high-quality antibodies.

-BBC