‘Man with the Golden Arm’ who saved millions of Australian babies dies at 88

Mar 3

Kennedy Felton Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer

By Kennedy Felton (Lifestyle Correspondent/Producer), Joey Nunez (Video Editor)

James Harrison, known as the “Man with the Golden Arm,” has died at 88. The Australian blood donor saved more than 2.4 million babies by donating plasma over 1,100 times.
Harrison’s plasma contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, which prevents Rhesus disease in newborns.
Harrison’s impact on medical science draws comparisons to Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were used for groundbreaking research.

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James Harrison, known as the “Man with the Golden Arm,” has died at 88. The Australian blood donor saved more than 2.4 million babies by donating plasma over 1,100 times.

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According to the Australian Red Cross, Harrison’s journey as a donor began after undergoing major surgery at age 14. Doctors removed one of his lungs, and he required more than two gallons of donated blood to survive. Grateful for the lifesaving transfusions, he pledged to donate blood himself as soon as he became eligible.

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At 18, he followed through on that promise. He continued donating every two weeks for more than six decades, retiring his arm at 81. His plasma contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, which became the key ingredient in a treatment to prevent Rhesus disease.

Rhesus disease occurs when a pregnant mother’s blood attacks her unborn baby’s blood cells, leading to severe, or sometimes fatal, health complications. Harrison’s unique blood helped develop the Anti-D injection, which has protected millions of newborns from the condition.

His contributions were so significant that he received the Medal of the Order of Australia. In 2003, he set a Guinness World Record for the most blood donated by a single person.

A legacy similar to Henrietta Lacks

Harrison’s impact on medical science draws comparisons to Henrietta Lacks. Lacks was an African American woman whose cancer cells — known as HeLa cells — became the first immortalized human cell line. Her cells fueled breakthroughs in everything from polio vaccines to cancer treatments.

Unlike Harrison, who voluntarily donated his blood, Lacks’ cells were taken without her consent. In 2023, her family settled a lawsuit with a biotech company over the unauthorized use of her genetic material.

Honoring Harrison’s legacy

Harrison passed away in his sleep on Feb. 17. His dedication to blood donation transformed maternal and infant healthcare in Australia and beyond.

Despite holding a world record for donations, NPR says Harrison always hoped someone would surpass him. His story shows how one person’s generosity can change millions of lives.

Tags: Australia, Health Care, Red Cross

[KENNEDY FELTON]

SOME PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR MARK ON THE WORLD WITH THEIR WORDS… ACTION.. OR INVENTIONS. BUT JAMES HARRISON – WHO HAS JUST PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 88 – SAVED MILLIONS OF LIVES – SIMPLY BY ROLLING UP HIS SLEEVE.

HE WAS KNOWN AS “THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM”… WHO SAVED TWO POINT FOUR MILLION BABIES IN AUSTRALIA – THAT’S DONATING BLOOD MORE THAN 11-HUNDRED TIMES. AT THE AGE OF 14 – ACCORDING TO THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS, HARRISON UNDERWENT A MAJOR SURGERY… REMOVING ONE OF HIS LUNGS. GRATEFUL FOR THE MORE THAN TWO GALLONS OF DONATED BLOOD – HE PLEDGED TO DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS IN NEED WHEN HE BECAME AN ADULT. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID EVERY TWO WEEKS… UNTIL HE RETIRED HIS ARM AT THE AGE OF 81.

HARRISON HAD A RARE ANTIBODY IN HIS BLOOD CALLED ANTI-D… WHICH ACTS AS A MEDICINE FOR RHESUS DISEASE. THIS IS WHEN A PREGNANT MOTHER’S BLOOD ATTACKS HER UNBORN BABY’S BLOOD CELLS… POTENTIALLY LEADING TO SEVERE HEALTH ISSUES… OR EVEN DEATH.

HARRISON’S STORY IS REMINISCENT TO HENRIETTA LACKS – THE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WHOSE CANCER CELLS – KNOWN AS HELA CELLS – WERE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRST IMMORTALIZED HUMAN CELL LINE. LACKS’ CELLS FUELED DECADES OF RESEARCH… AIDING IN EVERYTHING FROM POLIO VACCINES TO CANCER TREATMENTS. ALTHOUGH – WHILE HARRISON VOLUNTARILY DONATED HIS PLASMA… LACKS’ CELLS WERE TAKEN WITHOUT HER CONSENT. IN 20-23… HER FAMILY SETTLED WITH A BIOTECH COMPANY OVER THIS.

HARRISON PASSED AWAY IN HIS SLEEP ON FEBRUARY 17TH. HE RECEIVED MULTIPLE AWARDS IN HIS LIFETIME… INCLUDING THE MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA AND EVEN GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS FOR MOST BLOOD DONATED BY A SINGLE PERSON. According to n-p-r… HE TOLD THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD DURING HIS FINAL BLOOD DONATION THAT HOPES ONE DAY.. SOMEONE IN AUSTRALIA CAN BEAT HIS RECORD.