63 years after his first blood donation, the Australian James Harrison’s in a Station of the Red cross in town hall Sydney has to hold for the last Time, his Arm hung. Until then, today, the 81-Year-old 1173 Times blood plasma donated. Due to age restrictions, he had to stop now.
Because Harrison’s blood group is rare. He is Rhesus-negative, and his blood, so called Anti-D can be recovered Immunoglobulin. This can include Doctors, pregnant women, administering to the Rhesus-negative, because of their Rhesus-positive partner, but a Rhesus-positive Baby unsubscribe.
Anti-D helps the mother, the unborn Baby does not repel. In Australia, around 17 per cent of all expectant in need of maternal Anti-D.
The man with the “Golden Arm”
According to the calculations of the Red cross Harrison has helped with his blood, over the years, more than two million mothers in Australia, to bring their babies safely into the world and to prevent miscarriages. Overall, his immunoglobulins are part of three million doses of Anti-had become D.
Every two weeks, he went to donate blood – except he was traveling and there was no blood donation station in the vicinity. “This is the end of an Era,” said Harrison after his last blood donation. “Now I have to search for me for Friday, and a different employment.” According to the newspaper “Sydney Morning Herald” he was called “the man with the Golden Arm”.