Australia's most prolific blood and plasma donor, James Harrison, has died at age 88. Known as the "Man with the Golden Arm," Harrison is credited with saving the lives of 2.4 million babies over the course of more than half a century.
Harrison died "peacefully in his sleep" at a nursing home on Feb. 17, Lifeblood — the Australian Red Cross branch responsible for blood donations — announced on Saturday.
Harrison donated blood and plasma a whopping 1,173 times, according to Lifeblood, every two weeks between 1954 and 2018. All but 10 were from his right arm, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
He "never missed a single appointment," the agency said, and "expected nothing in return." Blood donors are not compensated financially under Australian law.
"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," Lifeblood CEO Stephen Cornelissen said in a statement.
Harrison's plasma contained a rare and precious antibody called anti-D, which was discovered in the mid-1960s. It is used in medications to prevent haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) — also known as rhesus disease — a potentially fatal disease that occurs when a pregnant person's blood is incompatible with that of their unborn baby, prompting their immune system to attack it.
According to Lifeblood, 17% of Australian women who become pregnant end up needing anti-D injections — and most of the country's supply comes from a pool of less than 200 regular plasma donors.
Harrison became the country's first and most prolific anti-D donor, according to Lifeblood. In 1999, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia, one of the country's highest civilian honors. But he downplayed his accomplishments in interviews throughout the years, urging others to roll up their sleeves too.
"Some people say, 'Oh, you're a hero,' " Harrison told NPR in 2015. "But I'm in a safe room, donating blood. They give me a cup of coffee and something to nibble on. And then I just go on my way. … No problem, no hardship."
Harrison started donating to repay others' generosity
When Harrison was 14, he got sick and had to have one of his lungs removed.
The grueling process involved a three-month hospital stay, 100 stitches and nearly two gallons of donated blood, he told NPR. It inspired him to donate his own later — despite his aversion to needles.
"I was always looking forward to donating, right from the operation, because I don't know how many people it took to save my life," he said. "I never met them, didn't know them."
In 1954, as soon as he hit the legal age of 18, Harrison started giving blood and plasma.
Scientists discovered the anti-D treatment for HDFN about a decade later, and Harrison soon learned his blood contained the rare life-saving antibody — which doctors believe has to do with the blood he received years earlier.
Once Harrison learned he possessed anti-D, Lifeblood says he was "happy to continue to donate and switch over to plasma donation in order to help as many people as possible."
"I was prepared and wanted to give something back," Harrison said. "And I've been donating for 60 years."
Lifeblood says more than 3 million doses of anti-D containing Harrison's blood have been issued to Australian mothers since 1967. That long list of recipients includes members of his own family.
His donations helped grow and inspire his own family
Harrison's daughter, Tracey Mellowship, was among the women who received the injection while pregnant.
"As an anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations," she said in a statement, adding that her dad was "immensely proud" to have welcomed two great-grandchildren in his final years.
Harrison's contributions didn't just enable his family to grow, but to give back themselves.
"The whole family are blood donors," Harrison told NPR. "And that makes you feel proud, too."
In 2011, his grandson Scott made his first donation — seated right next to Harrison, who was making his 1,000th.
His late wife Barbara was a blood donor as well. Harrison kept donating "even in his darkest days," including after her death, Lifeblood says.
Mellowship said her dad was 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 said. "He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own."
He continues to advance scientific research
Harrison officially retired at age 81, the maximum age for blood donations under Australian law.
He made his last donation in May 2018, surrounded by half a dozen grateful mothers holding babies who benefited from the anti-D program.
From the blood center recliner, Harrison bemoaned his forced retirement, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that "I'd keep on going if they let me."
But he also spoke optimistically about passing the baton — or, more accurately, the squishy stress ball.
"I hope it's a record that somebody breaks, because it will mean they are dedicated to the cause," he said.
Australia has about 200 anti-D donors who help around 45,000 mothers and babies annually, according to Lifeblood.
But because the antibody is so rare, and there are so few human donors able to donate regularly, scientists are also trying to come up with a synthetic version.
Lifeblood is working with Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Australia's oldest research institute, on a project they call "James in a Jar." It could see Harrison continue to save lives long after his death.
"Using the blood of James and other donors, the team has successfully recreated and grown his antibody in the lab — with the hope it will one day help prevent [HDFN], not just for pregnant women in Australia, but also worldwide," it says.
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