Late James Harrison's Blood Plasma Contained Life-Saving Anti-D, Which Saved Over 2 Mn Babies

James Harrison donated blood and plasma 1,173 times every two weeks between 1954 and 2018, and he "never missed an appointment".

James Harrison is considered a national hero.

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James Harrison, a prolific blood donor, has died at the age of 88. He has been credited with saving the lives of over 2 million babies in more than 50 years. Harrison, dubbed the "Man with the Golden Arm", died "peacefully in his sleep" at a nursing home on February 17, Lifeblood, the Australian Red Cross branch responsible for blood donations, announced on Saturday.

Harrison's plasma contained Anti-D, a “rare and precious antibody” used to create a medication given to rhesus disease [Rh (D)] negative mothers to prevent their immune system from developing antibodies that could attack the red blood cells of a future Rh (D) positive baby.

Harrison donated blood and plasma 1,173 times, said Lifeblood, every two weeks between 1954 and 2018.

His altruistic mission was inspired after he received multiple blood transfusions following lung surgery at the age of 14. He began blood donations at the age of 18, every two weeks, until 81, which is the upper age limit for blood donation in Australia. He "never missed a single appointment", and "expected nothing in return", Lifeblood said. Blood donors are not financially compensated under Australian law.

Lifeblood Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cornelissen hailed Harrison’s dedication.

“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 Lifeblood statement.

He said Harrison “extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know”.

What Is Anti-D, And Why Is It Significant?

If a mother with Rh (D) negative blood is carrying a baby with Rh (D) positive blood, her immune system may develop antibodies that could attack the red blood cells of a future Rh (D) positive baby.  

To prevent this, anti-D immunoglobulin injections are given to stop the mother’s body from producing these potentially harmful antibodies.  

Without this treatment, a subsequent Rh (D) positive baby could develop Haemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN), a serious and potentially fatal condition.

Australia's First Anti-D Donor

Harrison’s daughter Tracey Mellowship described her father as “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 cited above.

Rhesus disease develops when a pregnant woman has rhesus-negative blood (RhD negative) and the baby in her womb has rhesus-positive blood (RhD positive), inherited from its father. If a mother has been sensitised to rhesus-positive blood — often during a previous pregnancy with a rhesus-positive baby — she may produce antibodies that attack the baby’s "foreign" blood cells.

In severe cases, this can lead to brain damage or even death. Anti-D, developed using Harrison’s antibodies, prevented women with rhesus-negative blood from producing RhD antibodies during pregnancy.

Australian officials hailed the discovery of Harrison’s antibodies as a groundbreaking medical breakthrough. According to Lifeblood, 17 per cent of pregnant women in Australia require anti-D injections — and the majority of the country's supply relies on a small group of fewer than 200 regular plasma donors. Harrison was the country's first anti-D donor, and went on to become the most prolific one.

Harrison is considered a national hero, and he received numerous accolades for his generosity, including the Medal of the Order of Australia, one of the nation's highest honours.