Aussie With A 'Golden Arm' Who Saved 2.4 Million Babies Dies - Who Is James Harrison?

James Harrison, the world-renowned blood donor whose contributions helped save over two million babies, has passed away.

Known as the 'Man with the Golden Arm,' Harrison was celebrated for protecting 2.4 million newborns with his unique, antibody-rich plasma. Over 64 years, he donated blood an astonishing 1,173 times, according to Lifeblood, the Australian Red Cross organisation.

How It All Began

At 14, Harrison underwent major chest surgery and survived thanks to donated blood, Lifeblood reports. Determined to give back, he vowed to become a donor himself. Four years later, despite his fear of needles, he followed through on that promise—marking the start of a life-saving legacy.

It wasn't until over a decade later that they learned his blood carried a key antibody for Anti-D injections. James was pleased to keep donating and changed to plasma donations to assist as many individuals as possible.

In 2005, he earned the world record for the highest plasma donations, a distinction he maintained until 2022 when someone in the US broke it. According to his daughter, Tracey Mellowship, Harrison 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 added. The BBC reported that Mellowship and two of Harrison's grandchildren also received Anti-D shots. 'It made [James] happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness,' Mellowship said.

The Science Behind Anti-D

Before the advent of Anti-D treatments in the mid-1960s, fifty percent of babies with HDFN did not survive. While the origin of Harrison's Anti-D-rich blood remains unknown, some reports attribute it to the significant blood transfusion he received when he was 14.

Lifeblood, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, reports that even with less than 200 Anti-D donors in Australia, they support about 45,000 mothers and their babies annually. Lifeblood has collaborated with Australia's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research to produce Anti-D antibodies in labs by recreating blood and immune cells from Harrison and fellow donors.

Those involved in the research hope that lab-produced Anti-D will eventually aid pregnant women across the globe. 'Creating a new therapy has long been a "holy grail,"' Lifeblood's research director David Irving said.

Irving pointed out the limited number of donors dedicated to routine blood donation and capable of creating antibodies with the necessary quality and amount.

A Final Act

Harrison gave his final blood donation on 11th May 2018, having assisted in saving the babies of over 2 million Australian mothers. At 81, he possessed a rare antibody in his blood, which created Anti-D, a life-saving drug for mothers whose blood threatened their unborn children.

Harrison was a leading force in the creation of the Anti-D program. Since 1967, over 3 million doses of Anti-D, which used Harrison's blood, were given to Australian mothers who had negative blood type.

In 1999, Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his extraordinary and consistent contributions to Lifeblood and the Anti-D program. His compassionate nature left a significant mark, and he tasked the Australian people with trying to exceed his achievement.

'I hope it's a record that somebody breaks because it will mean they are dedicated to the cause,' Harrison said of his last donation. Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen said Harrison left behind 'an incredible legacy.'

'It was his hope that one day, someone in Australia would beat his donation record,' Cornelissen noted.

The government reports that roughly 17 percent of expectant mothers need Anti-D, though locating donors for the program continues to be tough. Researchers are looking to use Harrison's and other donors' blood to create Anti-D antibodies in labs to stop HDFN worldwide.