The ‘Man With the Golden Arm’: Blood Donor Who Saved Millions Dies at 88

One of the most singularly impactful people in the world has just passed away. Australia resident James Harrison, whose rare donated blood has saved millions of people since the 1950s, is now dead at the age of 88. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood announced Harrison’s death over the weekend. His blood plasma contained a rare antibody that doctors use to prevent a life-threatening complication in high-risk pregnancies. It’s estimated that Harrison’s donated plasma saved the lives of over two million children in Australia. “James was a remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving and he captured the hearts of many people around the world,” said Stephen Cornelissen AM, CEO of Lifeblood, in a statement from the organization. Harrison’s donation habit was inspired by a harrowing lung problem in his early youth that required surgery and many blood transfusions when he was 14 years old, according to Lifeblood. Wanting to give back, he began to don ... Read full article.