Harrison's plasma contained the Anti-D antibody, capable of preventing haemolytic disease of the fetus. He donated his blood 1,173 times.
He was nicknamed the man with the "golden arm". Over the past 60 years he never missed a plasma donation, reaching a total of 1,173 donations, without expecting or receiving anything in return.
He was James Harrison, and it was his death that made headlines, at the age of 88, in a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia, on 17 February. He was one of the most active blood donors who ever lived.
Harrison's blood contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, used to prevent a condition known as "haemolytic disease of the fetus" or HDFN. It is a condition that occurs during pregnancy, when the mother's red blood cells are incompatible with those of the newborn. As a result, the maternal immune system recognises the fetus's blood cells as foreign and reacts by producing antibodies to attack and destroy them. This reaction can lead to serious consequences for the baby, including heart failure, anaemia and, in the worst cases, death.
"James believed that his donations were no more important than those of any other donor, and that everyone could be just as special as him," says Stephen Cornelissen, chief executive of Lifeblood, a division of the Australian Red Cross.
Harrison began donating blood at the age of 18, in 1954, a few years after receiving a series of blood transfusions following a complex surgical procedure to remove a lung. Once discharged, his father explained that the blood he had received came from anonymous donors, whose selfless act had helped save his life. Deeply moved by this altruistic gesture, he promised himself that once he came of age, he would do the same. He kept his promise despite his aversion to needles, going so far as to look the other way every time the needle was inserted for a donation.
In the 1960s, Australian doctors were facing high rates of infant mortality, miscarriages and births of children with severe neurological problems. It was discovered that the cause of these issues was haemolytic disease of the newborn. Once identified, it was established that the condition could be prevented by administering to the mother a treatment based on plasma from donors carrying a particular antibody, capable of blocking the immune system's attack on the fetus's red blood cells. Australian doctors therefore began searching for potential donors to develop the Anti-D treatment. It was during this search, while analysing various blood banks, that they came across Harrison.
The first dose of Anti-D derived from his plasma was administered in 1967 to a pregnant woman, who successfully carried her pregnancy to term. Over decades of donations, millions of doses of Anti-D have been produced, enabling the birth of at least 2.4 million healthy babies, as reported by the BBC.
In 2005, Harrison set the world record for the most blood plasma ever donated, holding the title until 2022, when he was surpassed by a man in the United States. To date, Australia has fewer than 200 Anti-D antibody donors, but according to Lifeblood, they help around 45,000 mothers give birth to a healthy baby every year.
His family remembered him with great affection for his extraordinary humanitarian work:
"In his final years, he was immensely proud to become a great-grandfather to two beautiful great-grandchildren, Trey and Addison. Being an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that might never have existed without his precious donations," said Tracey Mellowship, Harrison's daughter.
James Harrison was not just a donor. Through his kindness and his unwavering commitment, he left an extraordinary legacy that continues to flow through the veins of all those who received his blood. The hope is that his example — precious and timeless — may be "passed on" to others like him.