Mr. James Harrison, aged 88, died on February 17, 2024. He was well known in Australia as “the man with the golden arm,” who frequently and regularly donated his plasma, which contained high titers of anti-D, to enable the manufacture of RhIg. In this way, he helped prevent maternal sensitization in many women, enabling the safe and live birth of millions of babies.
Interestingly, the invention of RhIg was pioneered by Dr. James Gorman, also originally from Australia, along with his colleagues in the United States (Drs. Vincent Freda and William Pollack) and Great Britain (Drs. Cyril Clarke and Ronald Finn).
Learn more on the BBC News:
For additional information, please see the following obituary from the New York Times:
“James Harrison, Whose Rare Antibodies Helped Millions, is dead at 88”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/obituaries/james-harrison-dead-blood.html?smid=em-share