A man from Australia, James Harrison, who saved a lot of lives with his rare antibody in his blood, sadly passed away at the age of 88.
Known for saving the lives of over 2.4 million through his blood donations, Naturenex compiles 5 things to know about the one-time world record holder.
1. Harrison started donating blood at age 18
Harrison, who was a recipient of a donated blood at the age of 14, started donating to others when he was 18.
Harrison had a major chest surgery when he was 14 and needed a blood donation. He had surgery to remove a lung and the process involved months in the hospital and multiple blood transfusions.
After his life was saved, he vowed to also donate to others. He did so every two weeks until he was 81.
2. Harrison’s blood had a special antibody
In the 1960s, scientists discovered a rare lifesaving antibody called anti-D, and it turned out Harrison had plenty of it, likely as a result of his childhood transfusions.
His blood helped save the lives of 2.4 million people who received it. It was used to make medication given to pregnant mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.
Anti-D helps protect unborn babies suffering from a blood disorder called haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN). This disease happens during pregnancy if the mother’s red blood cells are incompatible with those of the baby.
This could put the child’s life at risk or cause diseases such as severe anaemia and heart failure, the BBC reports.
Source: UGC
3. His blood donations earned him a nickname
Harrison’s blood donations helped over 2.4 million babies, a record that has attracted praise.
In Australia, he was nicknamed the man with the golden arm due to his heroic blood donations.
Harrison became Australia’s first and most prolific anti-D donor. Lifeblood, the blood donation agency, says he donated a total of 1,173 times, never missing an appointment or expecting anything in return, as blood donors don’t get paid under Australian law.
4. Harrison broke a record with his blood donations
In 2005, Harrison received the world record for the most blood donated by a single person, but his record has been beaten by another donor in the US in 2022.
He also received a national honour in Australia, which was the Medal of the Order of Australia.
5. How famous blood donor died at 88
Harrison, the heroic blood donor, died in his sleep at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia, on February 17, according to reports.
In his tribute, Lifeblood CEO, Stephen Cornelissen said:
“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.”
In a related story, a man once collapsed after donating blood, which made him pay to get his blood back.
