Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : March 5, 2025 4:21 PM IST
James Harrison, Hailed As 'Man With The Golden Arm', Dead At 88: Know More About His Life
James Harrison, once celebrated as Australia's most prolific blood and plasma donor, has died at the age of 88. In his lifetime, he was known as the 'man with the golden arm', credited with saving the lives of millions of babies by donating blood. According to news reports, Harrison donated blood over 1,100 times across six decades. The news of his demise was announced by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, which said that the man had a 'precious antibody in his blood', which was used to make a 'lifesaving medication called Anti-D, given to mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies'. Harrison reportedly passed away 'peacefully in his sleep' at a nursing home on February 17, 2025. "It's with enormous gratitude that we acknowledge the generous life of James Harrison OAM, who has passed away aged 88. Known as the 'Man with the Golden Arm', James saved 2.4 million babies by generously donating plasma more than 1,100 times. We thank James for the incredible contribution he made and the millions of lives he has saved," a post shared on social media from the official handle of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, read.
Harrison reportedly started donating blood and plasma in 1954 at the age of 18; he continued it until his retirement in 2018, at the age of 81. His daughter Tracey Mellowship remembered her father fondly, calling him a 'generous soul' who will be missed mostly for his 'wonderful sense of humour'. "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. 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," she said.
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As mentioned earlier, Harrison had rare antibodies that were used to develop Anti-D treatment, which has since protected millions of newborns from 'Rhesus disease'. Rhesus disease, also known as Rh incompatibility or Rh disease occurs during pregnancy when there is an incompatibility between the blood types of the mother and the child. It happens when a pregnant woman has Rh-negative blood, and her fetus has Rh-positive blood, which they inherited from the father. This incompatibility can trigger an immune response in the mother, causing her body to produce antibodies against the Rh-positive blood cells of the fetus. The antibodies produced by the mother's immune system can cross the placenta and attack the fetus's red blood cells, leading to anemia (low red blood cell count), jaundice, enlarged liver and spleen, heart problems and, in severe cases, brain damage or even death.
Rhesus disease is usually diagnosed during pregnancy through blood tests.
In a statement on their website, Lifeblood said more than 3 million doses of Anti-D containing Harrison's blood have been issued to mothers in Australia with a negative blood type since 1967.
In 1999, Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, which is one of the country's most prestigious honours, for his 'dedication to the Lifeblood and Anti-D programme'.
Harrison had reportedly said during his last donation: "I hope it is a record that somebody breaks, because it will mean they are dedicated to the cause."
Interestingly, when he was only 14 years old, Harrison underwent 'major chest surgery', and his recovery was made possible because of the generosity of blood donors. That is what motivated him to start donating blood as soon as he was eligible.
