Harrison began donating plasma when he was 18 years old and continued to do so every two weeks until he reached the age of 81
A prolific Australian blood donor who was noted for having saved the lives of more than two million infants, James Harrison, who passed away at the age of 88, was known as the “Man with the Golden Arm.”
As stated by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, which confirmed Harrison’s passing in a statement that was released on Saturday, Harrison’s plasma carried a “rare and precious antibody” known as Anti-D.
Anti-D is utilized in the production of a drug that is supplied to pregnant women who suffer from rhesus disease, a condition in which their blood would assault the blood cells of their unborn children.
The disorder manifests itself when a pregnant woman has rhesus-negative blood (RhD negative) and the baby in her womb has rhesus-positive blood (RhD positive), which is inherited from the baby’s father.
During pregnancy, women with rhesus-negative blood are protected from the development of RhD antibodies by the presence of Anti-D, which is created using Harrison’s antibodies.
Harrison had donated blood more than 1,100 times, according to the statement. Harrison passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 17 in a nursing home located to the north of Sydney location.
At the age of 14, Harrison underwent lung surgery, which resulted in his receiving repeated blood transfusions.
This experience served as the impetus for Harrison’s volunteer work. He began donating plasma when he was 18 years old and continued to do so every two weeks until he reached the age of 81, which is the maximum age one can donate blood in Australia.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lifeblood, Stephen Cornelissen, praised Harrison’s extraordinary level of commitment.
Cornelissen stated, “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.
“James extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know a remarkable 1173 times and expected nothing in return.”
It was stated by Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, that her father had a strong commitment to helping others.
She said, “As an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations.
“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.”
Australia was one of the first countries to find a blood donor who has this antibody. It was a very groundbreaking discovery at the time because
An Australian red cross blood service official named Jemma Falkenmire told CNN in 2015 that, Up until around 1967, doctors in Australia had no idea why thousands of newborns were dying every year. Babies were being delivered with brain impairment, and women were experiencing a high rate of miscarriages.
Australian officials said that the finding of Harrison’s antibodies was a whole turning point.