https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y4xqe60gyo?ICID=ref_fark
Australian whose blood saved 2.4 million babies dies
13 hours ago << EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-03-03>>
Kelly Ng BBC News
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One of the world’s most prolific blood donors – whose plasma saved the lives of more than 2 million babies – has died.
James Harrison died in his sleep at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia on 17 February, his family said on Monday. He was 88.
Known in Australia as the man with the golden arm, Harrison’s blood contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, which is used to make medication given to pregnant mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service who paid tribute to Harrison, said he had pledged to become a donor after receiving transfusions while undergoing a major chest surgery when he was 14.
He started donating his blood plasma when he was 18 and continued doing so every two weeks until he was 81.
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We need more of these silent heroes. Where do we get Anti-D?
I started donating blood in College. I remember that the Christian Brothers really publicized the need. Most were WWII and or Korean War vets and could really make us understand how important it was. I remember one of them teaching “Engineering Measurements” saying that we were probably too dumb to be good engineers but probably smart enough to bleed correctly. It was a big joke when we reported that we did “bleed well enough”.
Later in my life, when my sainted wife was mysteriously “loosing platelets”, she was getting four bags of them every week. One of her last wishes was that I replace them. I did and then some until I “aged out”. Who knew that “old platelets” didn’t help those in need?
Anyway, I hope that everyone who can donates. Maybe you might have the “golden arm”!
What a privilege to save lives.
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