Man With The Golden Arm dies aged 88 after saving lives of 2,400,000 babies

The world’s most prolific blood donor, who helped save more than two million babies by donating his rare plasma over 1,100 times across six decades, has died at 88.

James Harrison, known as ‘The Man With the Golden Arm’, had a precious and rare antibody in his blood known as Anti-D, which is used to make medication given to pregnant mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.

According to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, his donations have helped save the lives of more than 2.4 million Australian babies, with potentially even more worldwide.

Harrison became a blood donor in 1954 after receiving a life-saving transfusion, and donated every two weeks without ever missing an appointment until he turned 81 in 2018.

The world’s most prolific blood donor, who helped save more than two million babies by donating his rare plasma over 1,100 times across six decades, has died at 88.

James Harrison, known as ‘The Man With the Golden Arm’, had a precious and rare antibody in his blood known as Anti-D, which is used to make medication given to pregnant mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.

According to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, his donations have helped save the lives of more than 2.4 million Australian babies, with potentially even more worldwide.

Harrison became a blood donor in 1954 after receiving a life-saving transfusion, and donated every two weeks without ever missing an appointment until he turned 81 in 2018.

He is one of less than 200 people in his home country able to produce enough Anti-D to properly donate, and his antibodies have become crucial in developing a cure to Rhesus disease, also known as RhD.

RhD occurs when a mother’s immune system identifies her baby’s blood as a foreign substance and produces antibodies that attack it in the womb, which can lead to severe brain damage, heart failure or death.

Prior to the development of Anti-D in the mid-60s, around one in two babies diagnosed with RhD died. And since the antibody cannot yet be manufactured synthetically, donors such as Harrison are currently the only way to keep the condition at bay.

Considering his work to be a moral obligation, Harrison was recognised as a local and national hero in his home country.

In 1999 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, and from 2005- 2022 he was recognised as the world record holder for most blood plasma donated.

Harrison died in his sleep at Peninsula Village Nursing Home on the NSW Central Coast on February 17, it was revealed today.

Eulogising her father, his daughter Tracy Mellowship said: ‘James was a humanitarian at heart, but also very funny.

‘In his last years, he was immensely proud to become a great grandfather to two beautiful grandchildren, Trey and Addison.

‘As an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations.’

She added: ‘He was also very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain. It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness.

‘He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own.’

Lifeblood Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cornelissen AM paid tribute to James and his extraordinary generosity.

‘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,’ Stephen said.

‘It was James’ belief that his donations were no more important than any other donors’, and that everyone can be special in the same way that he was.

‘James extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know a remarkable 1173 times and expected nothing in return. He continued to donate even in his darkest days, after the passing of his wife Barbara, who was also a blood donor, and helped inspire his career as a lifesaver.

‘He leaves behind an incredible legacy, and it was his hope that one day, someone in Australia would beat his donation record.

‘On behalf of Lifeblood, and the entire Australian community, we thank James for the incredible life-saving contribution he made and the millions of lives he saved.’

Researchers are now hoping to use samples of Harrison’s blood to create a lab-made anti-D, nicknamed ‘James in a Jar’, which can one day be used to help pregnant women worldwide.

‘Creating a new therapy has long been a “holy grail”,’ said Lifeblood’s research director David Irving.

He noted the scarcity of donors committed to regular donation, who are able to produce antibodies in sufficient quality and quantity.

It has never been definitively proven why Harrison’s blood was able to produce such high quantities of Anti-D, although it was speculated that his blood transfusion as a child may have had something to do with it.

‘Every batch of Anti-D that has ever been made in Australia has come from James’ blood,’ Lifeline media manager Jemma Falkenmire told CNN in 2015.

‘And more than 17% of women in Australia are at risk, so James has helped save a lot of lives.’

Robyn Barlow, coordinator of Australia’s Rh Program said she had been friends with Harrison for nearly 60 years after first recruiting him as a donor.

‘He made my job very easy because he was so keen to donate all the time,’ she told Australian outlet 7NEWS.

‘I never had to worry about him – I never had to call and say: “when you’re coming”, nothing like that, he was there standing in front of me.’

In a 2015 interview with NPR, Harrison said: ‘I was always looking forward to donating, right from the operation, because I don’t know how many people it took to save my life.’