The Man Who Saved the Lives of More Than “Two Million” Babies

With Australia banning people over the age of 81 from donating blood, James Harrison said, “I would continue if they allowed,” even if he could no longer donate blood. with his statements It literally warms one’s heart.

James Harrison, with the number of plasma he donated Guinness World Records list He makes it in and he’s glad he’s on the list, just in case someone wants to break this record. Come on, this one is 87 years old now. “man with golden arm”Let’s look at what makes us so valuable and warm our hearts.

James Harrison looked forward to turning 18 to donate blood.

James Harrison, who had a major chest surgery to remove part of his lung at the age of 14, remained in the hospital for three months and found that what largely kept him alive was 13 units of blood given to him He says it is. The fact that his life was saved thanks to many people he did not know makes Harrison impatient to donate blood.

Certificate of first blood donation

Harrison, who waited until the age of 18 to donate blood due to the law, has been donating at regular intervals since then and continued until the age of 81. donates 1,173 plasma in total.

James Harrison saves the lives of his two grandchildren and an estimated 2.4 million children.

One of the first children to hold on to life with James Harrison

Before a discovery in the 1960s, many babies hemolytic disease He was stillborn due to (HDN) or died early due to brain damage. In women with Rh negative blood type but carrying a baby with Rh positive blood, the mother’s red blood cells It attacks the fetus as a foreign substance. This causes hemolytic blood disease and seriously harms the baby.

With the discovery made, HDN can be prevented by injecting low levels of Rh-D immunoglobulin into mothers with Rh-negative blood. In this way, given Anti-D antibodies, It cleans Rh+ blood cells without harming the baby.

Harrison’s plasma contains a rare antibody that enters the life-saving Anti-D. Harrison, this antibody produces naturally and as he donates, his body continues to produce more.

Every Anti-D bulb produced in Australia had James Harrison in it.

In Australia, one in six newborns may be affected by HDN. Approximately 17 percent of women in the country take Anti-D for this reason. Harrison, the man with the golden arm, almost every three weeks, Millions of babies had a chance to survive by donating 500-800 ml of blood plasma.

Harrison in 1999 Medal of the Order of Australia was rewarded with. After the award, Harrison said that this was something he could do and that his only talent was probably to donate blood. He also explained that saving many lives made him feel good.

Harrison, the needle-fearing hero, retired in 2018.

The women who received Harrison’s antibodies and their surviving children do not leave him alone in his last donation.

One of the reasons why the service he provides is so incredible is that Harrison is actually afraid of needles. Harrison didn’t want the needle even once. He didn’t watch her enter his arm. and kept looking elsewhere while blood was being drawn.

The “golden arm” description is for Harrison’s right arm. Although Harrison said it ended in the brain, he felt the injection in his left arm but not in his right arm for years. He donated from his right arm. The number of plasma taken from his left arm is not more than 10.

After his retirement, Harrison to donate blood invites.

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