An Australian man who was nicknamed the “Man with the Golden Arm” and saved over two million babies through his blood and plasma donations has died at the age of 88.
In a press release from the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, it was revealed that James Harrison had “passed away peacefully in his sleep” at his nursing home in Australia on February 17. Harrison was described as a “humanitarian at heart” and a “remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person.”
The press release noted that Harrison, whose “plasma contained the rare and precious antibody, Anti-D,” had been “known internationally for saving the lives of more than 2 million babies by generously donating plasma more than 1,100 times”:
James’s plasma contained the rare and precious antibody, Anti-D, which is used to make the life-saving medication given to mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.
“James was a humanitarian at heart, but also very funny,” Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said about her father.
The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s website explains:
When a mother with Rh (D) negative blood is pregnant with a baby that has Rh (D) positive blood, there’s a risk her immune system will create antibodies that can attack the red blood cells of their next Rh(D) positive baby.
Anti-D immunoglobulin injections can help women from developing these potentially harmful antibodies.
Vale, James Harrison. The man who helped saved 2.4 million babies. https://t.co/w6Tm3Sfz6i
— lifebloodau (@lifebloodau) March 2, 2025
Mellowship added, “He was also very proud to have saved to many lives, without any cost or pain. It made him happy to hear about the many families like our, who existed because of his kindness.”
“James was a remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving and he captured the hearts of many people around the world,” Stephen Cornelissen, the CEO for Lifeblood said in a statement.
Harrison made the decision to “give back” after he had received “many life-saving blood transfusions” after having lung surgery at the age of 14, so at the age of 18, he began donating after receiving encouragement from his father and “never missed a single appointment,” according to the press release.
NPR News reported that in Australia, blood donors do not receive financial compensation.
The outlet noted that while Harrison went on to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1999, he “downplayed his accomplishments in interviews throughout the years.”
Harrison was reported as having made his last donation in 2018, according to the outlet.
“It’s a sad day for me,” Harrison told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview in May 2018. “The end of a long run.”
