The man who saved 2.4 million babies: Australian 'golden arm' donor passes away at 88

James Harrison, the Australian man famously known as the "Man with the Golden Arm," has passed away at the age of 88, after a lifetime of donating blood plasma that saved the lives of 2.4 million babies. His family confirmed his death on February 17, 2023, at a nursing home on the central coast of New South Wales, Australia. Harrison, a retired state railway clerk, made a remarkable contribution over the span of 60 years, donating blood plasma 1,173 times between the age of 18 and his retirement at 81.

Harrison’s plasma contained a rare antibody called anti-D, which is used in the production of medication that protects unborn babies from hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). This condition occurs when a pregnant woman's immune system attacks the fetus's red blood cells, which is most common when a mother has Rh-negative blood and her baby has Rh-positive blood. The anti-D antibody in Harrison's plasma helped to prevent this dangerous disease, which can cause brain damage, heart failure, or death in newborns.

Harrison's selflessness had a profound impact, saving the lives of thousands of mothers and babies annually. His extraordinary donations made Australia the first country in the world to be self-sufficient in the supply of anti-D, ensuring the prevention of HDN across the country. According to Lifeblood, the national agency responsible for collecting blood products, only around 200 anti-D donors in Australia are responsible for helping 45,000 mothers and babies each year.

Although Harrison was initially averse to needles, he started donating blood as a teenager after he needed 13 units of blood during a major chest surgery when he was just 14 years old. Inspired by the life-saving blood donations he received, Harrison committed to helping others. At the age of 18, he began donating, and a decade later, his unique blood type was discovered by doctors, who asked him to donate plasma. The antibody he carried was later used to produce the anti-D treatment that has since saved millions of lives.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service, where Harrison made his donations, affectionately called him the "Man with the Golden Arm" due to the immense impact of his contributions. In 2005, he was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the individual with the most blood plasma donations in the world, a title he held until it was surpassed in 2022 by an American named Brett Cooper.

Harrison’s grandson, Jarrod Mellowship, recalled his grandfather’s humility despite his global recognition. “He did it for the right reasons. As humble as he was, he did like the attention. But he would never do it for the attention,” Mellowship said. In a statement, Lifeblood’s CEO, Stephen Cornelissen, praised Harrison as a “remarkable, stoically kind and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving.” Cornelissen added that Harrison believed that his donations were no more important than those made by any other donor, demonstrating his selfless nature.

In addition to his immense contribution to public health, Harrison’s legacy has personally impacted his own family. His daughter, Tracey Mellowship, needed anti-D treatment when she was pregnant with Jarrod and his brother, Scott. Jarrod’s wife, Rebecca, also received anti-D treatment during her pregnancies with three of their four children.

Before he retired from donating at the age of 81 in 2018, Harrison had made a total of 1,162 donations with his right arm and 10 with his left. Reflecting on his final donation, Harrison expressed regret that he could not continue his giving. "It’s a sad day for me. The end of a long run,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2018. Harrison had hoped that his record would eventually be broken, as that would mean someone else was following in his footsteps to make a similar life-saving impact.

James Harrison’s passing marks the end of a remarkable chapter in blood donation history, and his contributions will be remembered for generations. His selfless dedication to saving the lives of unborn babies, combined with his humility and quiet generosity, have cemented his place as a national hero in Australia.