Blood Donor Whose Rare Plasma Saved Millions of Babies Dies at 88

James Harrison, the Australian blood donor with rare plasma who helped save millions of newborns, has died at the age of 88.

Harrison, known as the “Man with the Golden Arm,” passed away in his sleep on February 17 at a nursing home near Sydney. The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood confirmed his death in a statement on March 1.

His blood contained a rare antibody used to create Anti-D, a treatment that prevents a life-threatening condition known as rhesus disease in newborns. Harrison donated plasma 1,173 times over his life, continuing every two weeks from 18 until he reached 81, the maximum age allowed for blood donors in Australia.

Started donating blood with rare plasma after lung surgery recovery

Harrison’s commitment to blood donation began after a personal health crisis when he was 14 years old. He underwent lung surgery and required multiple transfusions. Grateful for the donations that saved his life, he vowed to give blood as soon as he was eligible.

Stephen Cornelissen, CEO of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, praised Harrison’s selflessness.

“James was a remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving and he captured the hearts of many people around the world,” Cornelissen said in the statement.

“James extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know a remarkable 1173 times and expected nothing in return.”

Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said her father “was a humanitarian at heart.”

“As an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations,” she said in the statement.

Rhesus disease leading to the death of thousands of babies

Before the discovery of Anti-D in the 1960s, thousands of babies in Australia were dying each year from rhesus disease, which occurs when a mother’s immune system attacks her unborn baby’s red blood cells.

Women with rhesus-negative blood who carried rhesus-positive babies were at risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, or severe complications in newborns, including brain damage.

Harrison’s blood, found to contain a unique antibody, led to the development of a treatment that prevents the mother’s body from producing harmful antibodies during pregnancy. The breakthrough was life-changing.

Australia was among the first nations to develop Anti-D using a volunteer donor. It was considered revolutionary.

Harrison’s contributions earned him widespread recognition, including the Medal of the Order of Australia, one of the country’s highest honors. He remained humble despite the accolades, once stating that donating blood was painless and cost nothing but had the power to save lives.