"James Harrison, Legendary Blood Donor Who Saved Over Two Million Babies, Dies at 88"

James Harrison, widely recognized as Australia's "man with the golden arm," passed away peacefully at age 88 on February 17 at Peninsula Village Nursing Home on the NSW Central Coast. Harrison was renowned globally for his extraordinary blood donations, which spanned over six decades and involved more than 1,100 donations. His blood contained an extremely rare antibody essential in creating the medication known as Anti-D, administered to expectant mothers to prevent their blood from attacking their unborn children.

The lifesaving impact of Harrison’s contributions has been monumental. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood estimates that over 2.4 million Australian babies' lives have been directly saved due to his selfless generosity. To date, over three million doses of Anti-D derived from Harrison's unique antibodies have been administered to Australian mothers with negative blood types.

His daughter, Tracey Mellowship, warmly recalls her father as a humanitarian who radiated kindness and humor. She personally benefited from her father’s donations, experiencing first-hand how his generosity safeguarded her own family's existence. Harrison was humbly proud of his contributions, emphasizing that donating blood was simple and painless, and always encouraged others to follow his path.

Harrison began his blood-donation journey at age 18, driven by gratitude towards the donors who had previously provided blood after a vital chest surgery at age 14. Doctors later discovered his blood carried the rare antibodies critical in developing Anti-D treatments to protect against the life-threatening condition called Rhesus disease (Haemolytic Disease of the Foetus and Newborn or HDFN), in which an RhD-negative mother's immune system attacks an RhD-positive unborn child's red blood cells.

Beyond his blood-donation legacy, Harrison's contributions have driven critical scientific research and innovations. The 'James in a Jar' initiative, spearheaded by researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, successfully recreated the Anti-D antibody in laboratory conditions, potentially benefiting mothers worldwide in the future.

Harrison received the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia in 1999, acknowledging his extraordinary commitment and humanitarian impact. Friends and officials described him as deeply humble, generous, and consistently devoted to helping others. His legacy continues through programs and research inspired by his remarkable generosity and the countless lives he helped protect over the years.