Blood Donor Who Saved 2.4 Million Lives Dies At 88 After Donating Rare Plasma From Age 18

• A man from Australia, who saved a lot of lives with his rare antibody, has sadly passed away at the age of 88
• James Harrison started donating blood at the age of 18 after he received a blood transfusion that saved his life when he was 14
• Harrison donated his blood, which contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, until he was 82, saving 2.4 million lives

A man who used blood donation to save lives has died in Australia at the age of 88.

James Harrison, who was a recipient of a donated blood at the age of 14, started donating to others when he was 18.

Harrison had a major chest surgery when he was 14 and needed a blood donation. After his life was saved, he vowed to also donate to others. He did so every two weeks until he was 82.

Harrison's blood, which contained a rare antibody, Anti-D, helped save the lives of 2.4 million people who received it.

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Harrison, the heroic blood donor, died in his sleep at a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia, on February 17, according to reports.

In Australia, he was nicknamed the man with the golden arm due to his heroic blood donations.

In 2005, Harrison received the world record for the most blood donated by a single person, but his record has been beaten by another donor in the US in 2022.

How does James Harrison's blood help recipients?

James Harrison's blood contains a rare antibody called Anti-D, and it is used to make medication given to pregnant mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies.

Anti-D helps protect unborn babies suffering from a blood disorder called haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN).

This disease happens during pregnancy if the mother's red blood cells are incompatible with those of the baby.

When this happens, the mother's immune system starts seeing the baby's blood cells as a threat and produces antibodies to attack them.

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This could put the child's life at risk or cause diseases such as severe anaemia and heart failure, the BBC reports.

However, Harrison's blood donations helped over 2.4 million people, a record that has attracted praise.

His daughter, Tracey Mellowship, said her father was proud to have used his blood to save lives.

She said:

"He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own. It made [James] happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness."

Man loses wife and child at hospital

Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian man was left in tears after his wife and baby died in a hospital in Owerri, Imo state.

The man alleged that the doctor who attended to his pregnant wife was using YouTube videos to work.

The man's heartbreaking story went viral and met strong condemnation online after it was shared on Instagram.

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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng