Man Donated Blood Every Week For 60 Years Saving Lives Of 2.4 Million Babies

Jul 24, 2020 by apost team

For more than 60 years, Australian resident James Harrison has been donating blood nearly every week and has been nicknamed the "Man With the Golden Arm." His blood is unique in that it contains unique antibodies that help fight against rhesus disease in babies.

But as of 2018, Harrison donated his blood for the last time at the age of 81 with adherence to Australian regulations that prevent people from giving blood past a certain age.

According to research carried out by the Red Cross Blood Service in Australia, more than 2.4 million babies have been saved thanks to Harrison's blood since it contains special antibodies that are important in fighting rhesus disease.

According to CNN, he is one of the only 50 people in Australia who have blood that can be helpful in fighting rhesus disease.

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Rhesus disease is a rare disorder where a pregnant woman's blood begins to attack the unborn child’s blood cells, as CNN explains. In the event that the situation is not well checked, it could lead to brain damage, or in the most severe case, death. This only occurs if the pregnant woman’s blood is rhesus-negative (RhD negative) while the fetus is rhesus-positive.

The baby acquires the Rhesus factor the father. In the event that the pregnant woman with the rhesus-negative blood has previously been taken through rhesus-positive blood sensitization, mainly from a previous pregnancy with a rhesus positive baby, her body will most likely produce antibodies that attack the blood cells of the fetus, assuming they're foreign antibodies.

"In Australia, up until about 1967, there were literally thousands of babies dying each year, doctors didn't know why, and it was awful. Women were having numerous miscarriages and babies were being born with brain damage," Jemma Falkenmire, of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, told CNN in 2015. "Australia was one of the first countries to discover a blood donor with this antibody, so it was quite revolutionary at the time."

According to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Harrison discovered his special blood after a major chest surgery he had when he was 14 years of age.

At that crucial moment in his life, blood donations are what saved his life, and so he made a decision to give back to the community. This is something he has remained committed to for 60 years.

It was a few years after he started to donate blood that doctors discovered the unique antibody that was later used to create the Anti-D injections, as CNN reports. Harrison then started to donate blood plasma to assist in creating more injections in the fight against rhesus disease. According to doctors’ speculations, Harrison most probably acquired his unique blood type from the various blood transfusions he received after his chest surgery at the age of 14.

"Every bag of blood is precious, but James' blood is particularly extraordinary. His blood is actually used to make a life-saving medication, given to moms whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies. Every batch of Anti-D that has ever been made in Australia has come from James' blood." Falkenmire told CNN. "And more than 17% of women in Australia are at risk, so James has helped save a lot of lives."

While Harrison has since retired from his role as a blood donor, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service continues to take donations.

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