Australian blood donor retires after saving 2.4 million lives
AN 81-YEAR-OLD man in Australia who has given blood every week or two for almost 60 years – helping to save the lives of an estimated 2.4million babies – has expressed his “sadness” at making his final donation.
As he made his last offering at a donation centre in Sydney, James Harrison, who admits to a lifelong fear of needles, was surrounded by grateful mothers of children he has saved.
Unusually, his blood has an antibody that can help to protect unborn babies from haemolytic disease of the newborn, a potentially deadly condition.
“It’s a sad day for me. The end of a long run,” he said. “I’d keep on going if they’d let me.”
Mr Harrison was asked to donate in the Sixties, shortly after scientists in Australia discovered that his blood type could help to prevent a condition that can cause severe – and potentially fatal – anaemia in babies. Known as “the man with the golden arm”, he has made 1,173 donations – 1,163 from his right arm and 10 from his left, which he says is because he could not feel the injections in his right – and helped to produce more than 3million doses of anti-d, a medication that can save babies’ lives. He says he finds injections “macabre” and that “I look at the nurses, the ceiling, the spots on the wall, anything but the needle”.
Women with an Rh negative blood type who are carrying a baby with Rh positive blood respond to the baby’s blood as a foreign threat. But the condition can be treated with blood such as that of Mr Harrison, who has a rare combination of Rhd-negative blood and Rh+ antibodies.
Mr Harrison agreed to join the programme shortly after researchers made their medical breakthrough and he became the nation’s first donor.
He said he appreciated the benefits of donating after receiving a life-saving transfusion during chest surgery at the age of 14.
He began donating blood as soon as he was allowed, at 18, about a decade before he learnt that he was carrying the precious antibody. Since then, he has donated 500 to 800 millilitres of blood almost every week and only retired because he passed the standard donor age limit of 70.
About 17 per cent of pregnant women in Australia are injected with anti-d.
The recipients have included Mr Harrison’s daughter.
The Red Cross Blood service in Australia calculated that Mr Harrison has prevented 2.4million deaths.