James Harrison, the Australian man whose extraordinary blood donations saved the lives of more than 2.4 million babies, has passed away at the age of 88.
Known as the “Man with the Golden Arm,” Harrison’s legacy of selfless giving spanned over six decades and left an everlasting mark on many lives around the world.
Harrison’s blood contained a rare and life-saving antibody, anti-D, which helped protect unborn babies from a condition called hemolytic disease, according to the Australian Red Cross. The disease occurs when a pregnant woman’s immune system attacks her fetus’s red blood cells, a risk heightened when the mother has Rh-negative blood and the baby’s blood type is Rh-positive.
Born in New South Wales, Harrison started donating plasma at the age of 18. Over the next 60 years, he made an astonishing 1,173 donations, according to Fox 4 KDFW, all while working as a state railway department clerk.
His donations became a crucial source of anti-D for people around the world.
Harrison’s contributions were so significant that in 2005, he was awarded a place in the Guinness World Records for the most blood plasma donations in history, per AP News.
Harrison’s blood donations were critical to a program that now helps treat about 45,000 mothers annually in Australia. Despite his record being surpassed in 2022 by an American donor, Brett Cooper, Harrison’s impact on the medical community and the lives he saved will be remembered forever.
Harrison’s grandson, Jarrod Mellowship, shared with AP News that his own mother, Tracey Mellowship, had benefited from the anti-D treatment during her pregnancies.
Harrison’s life was also marked by his dedication to his family, including his sister Margaret Thrift, his daughter, two grandsons, and four great-grandchildren, who survive him. They and the Australian public will continue to honor his generous legacy.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service hailed Harrison as a national hero. His donations were crucial to saving countless lives, making him one of history’s most important blood donors.