Donating blood is something that millions of people do regularly, potentially saving the lives of untold numbers of strangers in need of transfusions. And while all blood, platelet, and plasma donors should be commended for their efforts, it’s hard to imagine anyone having as much of an impact as James Harrison.
Harrison, who died last month at age 88, was an Australian railway clerk whose blood contained exceptionally strong concentrations of an antibody known as Anti-D. Though medical experts never knew exactly why Harrison’s blood contained so much of this rare antibody, the most likely explanation was a series of blood transfusions he received as a teenager following major lung surgery.
Harrison first donated blood in 1954, at age 18, but it wasn't until the late 1960s that medical officials noticed something extraordinary about his blood. This discovery came shortly after a major breakthrough in the prevention of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), which can lead to stillbirth or neonatal death. In 1966, researchers had discovered that injecting at-risk pregnant women with Anti-D antibodies is an effective way to prevent this disease in future pregancies, and James Harrison’s plasma was an excellent source of these antibodies.
For the next 50 years, Harrison donated blood plasma every two weeks, only stopping in 2018 on medical advice. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood estimates that around 2.4 million pregnant women received an Anti-D immunoglobulin injection containing antibodies donated from Harrison. Annually, around 17% of pregnant women in Australia receive the injection, and the clinical incidence of HDN in the country has dropped to nearly zero, down from approximately 250 annual HDN-related fetal and newborn deaths before the discovery of Anti-D.
Harrison donated blood for the last time on May 11, 2018, at age 81, though he said he would have been happy to continue. His total donation count was 1,173, earning him the nickname “The Man With the Golden Arm.” His donor record is even more impressive given how much he disliked needles.
The Man With the Golden Arm:
- HDN occurs when an expectant mother with Rh-negative blood carries a fetus with Rh-positive blood inherited from the father, an incompatibility that leads the mother’s immune system to produce antibodies that attack the baby’s red blood cells, causing them to break down with potentially fatal consequences.
- Australian researchers have developed a lab-grown version of the Anti-D antibody, which could one day be used to treat HDN and reduce the need for donors. Currently, Australia has only 200 regular Anti-D donors.
- Inspired to give blood? Visit the American Red Cross website (or the website of a corresponding organization in your country) to find a blood donation center or blood drive near you. Whole blood donors can donate up to six times per year, while platelet donors can donate up to 24 times per year. Plasma can be donated even more frequently.
