In 1953, James Harrison, a 14-year-old Australian boy, underwent a major lung operation. Doctors are forced to remove one from him. Upon awakening, he learns that he owes his survival to the 13 blood units which were transfused to him during the operation. Since that day, James Harrison has vowed to repay his debt and become a regular donor, a promise he has kept to this day. He made his final and 1,173rd donation on Friday May 11th. Aged 81, he has passed the age limit of 80 to be able to continue giving. This incredible world record is explained by his generosity, but also by the scarcity of its blood …
A unique antibody
In Australia, until 1967, thousands of women were doing miscarriages, gave birth to stillborn babies or with severe brain damage, and the doctors didn’t know why. These women turned out to be suffering from hemolytic disease of the newborn. This pathology occurs when the blood group of the fetus is positive while that of the mother is negative. The mother’s immune system will then attack the baby’s red blood cells. Australian researchers eventually discovered that this disease could be prevented by injecting a rare antibody called “anti-D”. In the Australian Red Cross donor list, only one person had this type of antibody: James Harrison.
2.4 million babies saved
He then agrees to give his plasma as often as possible, once every 19 days. For several decades, “anti-D” antibodies only came from “the man with the golden arm”. Knowing that one in six Australian women is considered to need this treatment, the Red Cross estimates that these 1,173 donations have saved 2.4 million babies over the past 60 years. Today, 200 Australian donors have this unique antibody in their blood.
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