James Harrison started donating blood in 1954, 18 years old. Ten years later, doctors discovered that his blood contained a rare antibody necessary for producing anti-D injections, which protect fetuses and newborns from so-called Rh immunization.
If the pregnant woman has a different RhD blood group than the fetus and the fetus's blood leaks into the mother's blood, the mother can form antibodies that attack the baby's red blood cells. This can lead to brain damage in the child and, in the worst case, death.
Since 1967, over three million doses of anti-D produced from James Harrison's blood have been given to Australian mothers, according to the Australian Red Cross.
James stretched out his arm to help others and babies he would never get to know, 1,173 times without asking for anything in return, says Stephen Cornelissen, CEO of the Red Cross's blood donation division in Australia, in a press release.
