James Harrison’s plasma contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, which is used to prevent haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN).
ADVERTISEMENTAn Australian man whose blood donations are credited with saving the lives of more than 2 million babies has died at the age of 88.
James Harrison, from the town of Junee in the state of New South Wales, passed away in his sleep at a nursing home on 17 February, his family confirmed over the weekend.
Nicknamed the “man with the golden arm”, Harrison saved 2.4 million babies by donating plasma over 1,100 times, according to the Australian Red Cross.
Harrison started donating as an 18-year-old in 1954, four years after receiving a series of blood transfusions following lung surgery.
He is said to never have missed a fortnightly appointment in his more than six decades of donating, before retiring as a donor in 2018 at the age of 81.
As his plasma contained a rare antibody called Anti-D, doctors used it to help mothers whose blood was at risk of attacking their unborn babies.
Tracey Mellowship, Harrison’s daughter, paid tribute to her late father, praising him for his humanitarian work and his humour.
“In his last years, he was immensely proud to become a great grandfather to two beautiful grandchildren, Trey and Addison. As an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations,” she said.
“He was also very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain. It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness,” Mellowship added.
Stephen Cornelissen, chief executive officer of Lifeblood, a division of the Australian Red Cross, thanked Harrison for being a “remarkable, stoically kind and generous” man.
“James extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know a remarkable 1173 times and expected nothing in return,” Cornelissen said.
“He leaves behind an incredible legacy, and it was his hope that one day, someone in Australia would beat his donation record,” he added.
“On behalf of Lifeblood, and the entire Australian community, we thank James for the incredible life-saving contribution he made and the millions of lives he saved.”
Even after his death, Harrison is set to continue saving the lives of unborn babies.
In a collaborative project, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and Lifeblood have successfully grown Harrison’s antibody in a laboratory.
ADVERTISEMENTThe researchers hope that this breakthrough could one day prevent haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN) for women around the world.
There are only 200 Anti-D donors in Australia, whose blood helps around 45,000 mothers and their unborn babies each year.
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