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James Harrison, Australian blood donor who saved 2.4 million babies, passes away

James Harrison began donating blood in 1954 at the age of 18.

Harrison's plasma contained a rare antibody called Anti-D, which prevents harmful antibodies from being passed from mothers to their babies during childbirth (Image source: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood)

James Harrison, the Australian man whose blood donations saved the lives of over 2.4 million babies, has died at the age of 88. Known as the “man with the golden arm”, Harrison died in New South Wales on February 17, the BBC reported.

Harrison began donating blood in 1954 at the age of 18. Throughout his life, he made an incredible 1,173 donations, until he retired in 2018 at the age of 81. His donations saved over two million babies worldwide. Harrison’s plasma contained a rare antibody called Anti-D, which prevents harmful antibodies from being passed from mothers to their babies during childbirth, the BBC report said.

According to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Harrison had pledged to become a donor after receiving transfusions during a major chest surgery at the age of 14. In 2005, he set the world record for the most blood plasma donated, a title he held until 2022, when he was surpassed by a man in the US.

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Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said her father was very proud to have saved so many lives. “He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own,” she told the BBC.

Researchers at Australia’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, in partnership with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Lifeblood), are working to replicate Harrison’s antibodies in a laboratory. Their goal is to create a synthetic version of anti-D, ensuring a reliable and accessible treatment for pregnant women around the world, as per the BBC.

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