James Harrison has even been nicknamed the Man of Golden Blood.
After all, everyone knows what Rh-conflict is – a condition when the mother’s immune cells begin to attack the fetus. This happens when the mother does not have a specific antigen in the blood, and the fetus has a positive Rh factor. Pregnancy in this case may result in miscarriage. To avoid this, a woman has to inject immunoglobulin for the rest of the period.
At the age of 14, James Harrison realized that his blood is unique and can be used to create an antidote that levels the Rh-conflict. I didn’t understand it myself, of course, but after a series of analyzes. At this age, he underwent a complex operation to remove a lung, blood transfused – only about 13 liters. Doctors believe that this is why the composition of his own blood has changed.
James understood that donated blood saved his life. Now he believed that he should repay people in kind. From the moment he turned 21, James has donated blood every week for 60 years. In total – 1173 times, even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Serum was made from his blood, which was administered to women with Rh-conflict.
“In Australia, until about 1967, thousands of children were killed every year. Doctors couldn’t figure out why, and it was terrible, ”Gemma Falkenmeer, a spokeswoman for the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, told CNN. – Women suffered from miscarriages, children were born with brain damage. Australia was one of the first countries to find a donor with the right antibodies in the blood. It was just a revolution. “
Until 2015, virtually all of the immunoglobulin produced in Australia was from James Harrison’s blood plasma. Considering that about 17 percent of all pregnant women in Australia faced the Rh-conflict, there are many saved lives on the account of the miracle donor. According to the blood service, about 2,4 million children are alive thanks to Harrison. Including, by the way, his own granddaughter. It is not for nothing that a separate page on Wikipedia is devoted to the man. In 1999, he was even awarded the Order of Australia, the country’s most honorable award.
“It was quite humiliating to hear that I was doing a great thing, that I was a hero,” Mr. Harrison said at the time. – I do what I can do. Maybe this is my only talent, my vocation, the purpose of my existence – to be a blood donor. “
James Harrison, an honorary donor, has now retired. He can no longer donate blood because of his age – the man turned 81 years old. But he hopes that he will find followers. Indeed, in Australia there are about 50 more people whose blood has the same unique properties as his own.
“We hope that there will be people as generous and selfless as Mr. Harrison,” – said Gemma Falkenmeer, seeing him off to retire.