World

James Harrison, Australian Legend Whose Blood Donations Helped Save 2 Mn Babies, Dies At 88

by aweeincm

March 4, 2025

James Harrison, a prolific blood donor, has died at the age of 88. He has been credited for 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, according to NPR.
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, reported CNN. 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,” the Lifeblood said, as per NPR, and “expected nothing in return,” as blood donors are not financially compensated under Australian law.
As per CNN, 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 statement.
He said that James “extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know” and expected nothing in return.
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<h3>Australia’s first anti-D donor</h3>
His daughter, 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 a statement. Anti-D is used to make a medication administered to pregnant mothers whose blood would attack their unborn babies’ blood cells, known as rhesus disease, CNN reported. The condition 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 sensitized 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, prevents 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, reported NPR. Harrison became the country’s first and most prolific anti-D donor.
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.