James Harrison is a man with the honorable record of having saved millions of lives. And no, he’s not a superhero; in fact, all he did was donate blood. How is that possible?

Well, it turns out that James’s blood contains a rare antibody that could save the lives of babies suffering from Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN). This earned him the nickname “The Man with the Golden Arm.”

James Harrison and His “Superpower”

James Harrison was fortunate to possess an extraordinary gift: blood plasma rich in an antibody called immunoglobulin Rho(D) or Anti-D. This discovery came about after a complex surgery he underwent at the age of 18, which kept him hospitalized for several months.

Harrison decided to donate blood for life as a way of giving back for his recovery once he reached adulthood. When he finally could, Australian doctors were astonished by the exceptional amount and persistence of this antibody in his blood. Although it could never be conclusively determined why his plasma was so unusual, it is suspected that it resulted from the 13 blood transfusions he received during his operation.

This antibody turned out to be crucial in treating people with Rhesus disease, a condition that affects Rh-negative mothers carrying Rh-positive fetuses. This hemophilic disease causes the mother to produce antibodies that attack the fetus’s red blood cells, which can lead to the baby being born anemic and, in severe cases, result in neurological damage and even fetal death.

This is the most common form of hemophilia among children, estimated to affect around 5% of couples trying to conceive, presenting a significant risk.

When doctors discovered Harrison’s invaluable contribution, they made him an offer: ensure his body for one million dollars in exchange for his participation in a clinical trial. James Harrison agreed, and thus began a story of unparalleled altruism.

Donating Blood

They established a system in which Harrison would donate his plasma, which was used to produce Anti-D injections administered to potential affected mothers. Furthermore, his participation contributed to the research and development of synthetic immunoglobulin, which is known as “James in a jar.”

During his life as a donor, James Harrison made a total of 1,172 plasma donations. This meant donating every three weeks, the minimum wait time between plasma extractions, for 63 years of his adult life. His commitment only ended recently at the age of 82 when he exceeded the legal limit for blood donations. Despite his experience, Harrison could never overcome his fear of needles.

The impact of his generosity is immeasurable. According to estimates from the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, the “man with the golden arm” has contributed to saving the lives of over 2.4 million babies, which represents approximately one in ten pregnant women in Australia whose blood might be incompatible with that of their children. Even his own daughter was a beneficiary of his donation. In recognition of his work, Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on June 7, 1999.

It is currently estimated that there are around 200 Australians with the potential to help those affected by Rhesus disease, although not all of them possess the same quantity of antibodies in their blood as James Harrison. A Reddit user shared the story of his mother, who became a donor after receiving a blood transfusion in 2016.