James Harrison, an Australian man, passed away at the age of 88. He is known for his blood donations, which have saved the lives of more than 2 million babies. Harrison started donating in 1954 and continued for over 6 decades, donating plasma over 1,100 times. His plasma contained a rare antibody called Anti-D, which is used to prevent a condition called haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN). This condition is caused when a mother’s blood attacks her unborn baby. Harrison retired as a donor in 2018 at the age of 81. He is praised for his humanitarian work and his sense of humor. His daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said that Harrison was proud to be a great grandfather to two grandchildren, and she herself is a recipient of the Anti-D antibody. Stephen Cornelissen, the CEO of Lifeblood (a division of the Australian Red Cross), thanked Harrison for his generosity and his life-saving donations. After his death, researchers have found a way to grow Harrison’s antibody in a lab, which could help prevent haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn. Currently, there are only 200 Anti-D donors in Australia, and their donations help around 45,000 mothers and their unborn babies each year.
Australian citizen whose blood donations led to saving 2.4 million infants passes away at the age of 88.
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