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If this can’t restore your faith in humanity, nothing will.
For decades, one man’s routine visits to a donor centre helped change the fate of thousands of families. His contribution stayed largely out of the spotlight, even as its impact reached hospitals across Australia.
The story spans generations, linking a teenage surgery, a rare blood antibody and a treatment that has become standard care for expectant mothers.
A final donation
On May 11, 2018, James Harrison made his last blood donation at the age of 81. By then, his plasma had helped protect the babies of more than two million Australian women, according to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.
Harrison carried a rare antibody used to produce Anti-D, a medication given during pregnancy when a mother’s blood may attack her unborn child.
Since 1967, more than three million doses containing his donations have been issued to Australian mothers with Rh(D) negative blood.
Known as “the man with the golden arm”, Harrison donated more than 1,100 times – a world record, he held until 2022..
In 1999, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the Lifeblood and Anti-D program.
“I hope it’s a record that somebody breaks, because it will mean they are dedicated to the cause,” James said after his final donation according to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.
How it started
Harrison’s commitment began early. At 14, he underwent major chest surgery and survived only because of blood transfusions from unknown donors.
Grateful for that intervention, he pledged to give blood himself once eligible. Four years later, despite a fear of needles, he began donating and kept returning.
More than a decade on, doctors discovered his blood contained the antibody essential for Anti-D. He later switched to plasma donation to maximise its use.
Why Anti-D matters
Anti-D immunoglobulin is made from plasma donated by a small number of people with the required antibodies, the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood explains.
The injection prevents Rh(D) negative women from developing antibodies during pregnancy with an Rh(D) positive baby. Without it, future pregnancies risk haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, a condition that can be fatal.
Harrison’s donations helped make that risk far rarer, leaving a legacy built on persistence and quiet generosity.
James Harrison pasted away on February 17 2025 at the age of 88.
Sources: BBC, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Huffpost
