James Harrison from Australia whose blood donation has saved over 2.4 million babies worldwide has died. He was 88.
He was fondly regarded as the ‘man with the golden arm.’ According to his family, Harrison died peacefully in his sleep on February 17 at a nursing home in New South Wales.
“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,” BBC reported.
According to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Harrison became a blood donor after undergoing a chest surgery at the age of 14.
As per reports, he started donating his blood plasma when he was 18 and continued doing so every two weeks until he was 81.
What is Anti-D?
Anti-D is a rare but significant antibody found in the blood of Rh-negative individuals. It develops when an Rh-negative person is exposed to Rh-positive blood, often during pregnancy or a blood transfusion. This exposure triggers the immune system to produce Anti-D antibodies, which can attack Rh-positive red blood cells.
In pregnancy, if an Rh-negative mother carries an Rh-positive baby, her immune system may recognize the baby’s blood as foreign and produce Anti-D antibodies. In subsequent pregnancies, these antibodies can cross the placenta and destroy the baby’s red blood cells, causing hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), a serious condition leading to anemia, jaundice, and even fetal death. To prevent this, Rh-negative mothers receive an Anti-D injection (RhoGAM) during pregnancy and after childbirth to stop antibody formation.
In transfusions, giving Rh-positive blood to an Rh-negative person can also lead to Anti-D production, complicating future transfusions. Blood banks carefully match blood types to avoid such reactions.
Anti-D has also been used in medical treatments, particularly in preventing Rh incompatibility-related complications. Its discovery and use in medicine have significantly reduced cases of HDN, making it a critical component of prenatal and transfusion medicine.
