One of the world’s most prolific blood donors – whose plasma saved the lives of more than 2 million babies – has died. James Harrison died in his sleep at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia on February 17, his family said on Monday. He was 88.
Known in Australia as the man with the golden arm, Harrison’s blood contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, which is used to make medication given to pregnant mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service who paid tribute to Harrison, said he had pledged to become a donor after receiving transfusions while undergoing major chest surgery when he was 14. He started donating his blood plasma when he was 18 and continued doing so every two weeks until he was 81.
In 2005, he had the world record for most blood plasma donated – a title he held until 2022 when he was overtaken by a man in the US.
Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said her father was “very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain”.
“He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own,” she said.
Mellowship and two of Harrison’s grandchildren are also recipients of anti-D immunisations.
“It made [James] happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness,” she said.
Anti-D jabs protect unborn babies from a deadly blood disorder called haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn, or HDFN.
The condition occurs at pregnancy when the mother’s red blood cells are incompatible with that of their growing baby.
The mother’s immune system then sees the baby’s blood cells as a threat and produces antibodies to attack them. This can seriously harm the baby, causing severe anaemia, heart failure, or even death.
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