The man with the “golden arm” who saved babies has died

This Australian man died at the age of 88 on February 27, announced the Australian Red Cross. “James was internationally known for saving the lives of more than 2 million babies by generously donating his plasma over 1100 times,” the organization stated in a press release.

For more than 60 years, James Harrison has given exactly 1173 blood donations. This amounts to about one blood donation every two weeks.

He was a carrier of the rare anti-D antibody. This substance allows for the production of the only preventive treatment for hemolytic disease of the newborn.

This disease affects pregnant women whose blood is incompatible with that of their unborn child. The injection of anti-D prevents the mother’s immune system from attacking the red blood cells of her fetus.

If the condition is not treated, the mother produces antibodies that remain in her body and can be very dangerous at the time of childbirth or during a subsequent pregnancy.

Nearly 17% of pregnant women in Australia are affected by this disease. This also included James’s daughter, who benefited from his contribution during her pregnancies.

James’ strong connection to blood donation began when he was 14 years old. At that time, blood transfusions saved his life while he was undergoing a major thoracic operation, reports the Australian Red Cross.

In honor of this experience, James became a blood donor at the age of 18. However, it was not until a decade later that doctors discovered the rare component of his blood.

He considered himself happy to save lives. «Some say: You are a hero, but I just go into a room to donate my plasma, safely. Then, the staff gives me a cup of coffee, something to snack on… and I go back to my life without any problems! It’s not hard,» he stated on ABC News.

His blood has been studied for several years in Australia to recreate the famous anti-D in the laboratory. This project is named ‘James in Jar’ in tribute to the late.