Sydney, Australia – James Harrison, the Australian man whose rare, antibody-rich blood plasma helped protect an estimated 2.4 million babies from a life-threatening condition, has passed away at 88, health officials confirmed.
Harrison, known as the “Man with the Golden Arm,” donated blood 1,173 times over 64 years, with his Anti-D antibody playing a crucial role in the fight against rhesus D haemolytic disease (HDFN).
A Lifesaving Legacy
Harrison began donating blood in his youth and never missed an appointment until his retirement in 2018, according to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. His contributions were instrumental in creating Anti-D injections, which help prevent a mother’s immune system from attacking her unborn baby’s red blood cells.
“James was a humanitarian at heart,” said his daughter Tracey Mellowship, who was herself an Anti-D recipient. “Without his precious donations, many families—including ours—might not exist today.”
Of his 1,173 donations, 1,163 were from his right arm, as he found the process more comfortable on that side.
A Medical Breakthrough
Before Anti-D became widely available in 1966, HDFN affected 1 in 100 pregnancies and often led to miscarriages, stillbirths, or severe health complications for newborns. Harrison’s rare antibody was key to scaling up Australia’s Anti-D program, which has since saved millions of lives.
Remembering a Hero
Harrison passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 17, at a nursing home on the New South Wales Central Coast.
“It was his hope that one day, someone in Australia would beat his donation record,” said Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen, calling Harrison’s impact “an incredible legacy.”
With 17% of pregnant women still requiring Anti-D, researchers continue efforts to synthesize the antibody in laboratories—a step that could expand its availability worldwide.