Some important things to know about James Christopher Harrison:
1. He was known as the Man with the Golden Arm.
2. He saved the lives of over two million infants.
3. He was afraid of needles but . . .
4. He donated blood and/or plasma 1,173 times in his 88 years of life.
5. That life ended on February 17, 2025.
At the age of 14 James Harrison became ill and underwent major surgery to remove one of his lungs. That illness required a three-month hospital stay and almost two gallons in blood transfusions. Even at that relatively young age, he realized how blessed he was to have had access to this life-saving supply—and he vowed to become a donor himself. Even though he and needles were not the best of friends.
As soon as he turned eighteen, the legal age for blood donations in his home country of Australia, he began keeping his promise. A decade later, it was discovered his blood was . . . well . . . magical, but in a scientific kind of way. James Christopher Harrison’s plasma contained a strong antibody known as anti-D, a key ingredient in medications that can prevent hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). Also known as rhesus disease, HDFN occurs when the mother’s blood is incompatible with that of her unborn child, causing her immune system to attack the perceived threat by destroying the infant’s red blood cells, often leading to fatal results. Since 1967, more than three million injections of anti-D have been given to Australian women, all of which contained Harrison’s blood.
Finding that plasma donations could be made more frequently than full blood donations, James began donating plasma an average of every three weeks which allowed him to reach his 1,000th donation in May of 2011. He continued giving plasma until he reached the age of 81, the point at which Australian policy says a person can no longer give blood—a policy that irked him just a bit, since he would have continued to donate had he been allowed.
Despite being called a hero for his dedication and willingness to share his life-saving blood, James always remained humble, even when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, one of the country’s highest honors for a civilian. As he put it, “Some people say, 'Oh, you're a hero'. But I'm in a safe room, donating blood. They give me a cup of coffee and something to nibble on. And then I just go on my way. … No problem, no hardship."
When James Harrison died, he held the world record for the most blood donations—a record he often said he hoped would be broken because it meant someone else was equally devoted to the cause. These days, blood donors are frequently in short supply, and those whose blood holds the magical antibody anti-D are even fewer, which makes the generosity and sacrifice of Mr. Harrison even more important. If there is one lesson we can learn from this amazing man, it’s that the smallest acts of kindness often have the greatest impact on the world.
About the author: Lisa Shackelford Thomas is a fourth-generation member of a family that’s been in funeral service since 1926 and has worked with Shackelford Funeral Directors in Savannah, Tennessee for over 45 years. Any opinions expressed here are hers and hers alone and may or may not reflect the opinions of other Shackelford family members or staff.
