In baseball, the man with the golden arm is the pitcher. For football, it is the quarterback. In Australia, they have an entirely different view of what that phrase means. Their definition is life-changing and revolves around James Harrison, “the man with the golden arm.” His contribution has nothing to do with any type of sports ball or even physical activity. James earned a Guinness World Record for lying on a bed.
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Sadly, James passed away in New South Wales on February 17, 2025, at the age of 88. He died a hero after saving 2.4 million Australian babies. After retiring from his career as a state railway department clerk, James continued doing what he had always done. The story begins with an illness in James’s childhood.
At 14, James needed major lung surgery. During the surgery, donated blood was used to supplement his lost blood. James made a promise after that life-saving surgery. He vowed to become a blood donor as soon as it was legal for him to do so. Four years later, James Harrison powered through a fear of needles and began regularly donating blood.
Ten years later, it was discovered that James’s blood contained the antibody needed to make Anti-D injections. At that point, James switched from standard blood donations to plasma to help more people. The antibodies in his plasma facilitated a vital treatment for mothers during pregnancy. Anti-D injections protect babies, allowing them to avoid life-threatening complications from rhesus disease.
James Harrison Was A National Treasure And True Hero
James made it into Guinness World Records in 2005 for donating the most blood plasma globally. His record stood until 2022, when it was broken by another hero, Brett Cooper, in Michigan. James donated from 1954 until a forced retirement from donating in 2018 at 81.
Despite an aversion to needles, James made 1,173 donations, which turned into 3 million doses of Anti-D for Australian babies. James’s donations even saved the lives of his grandchildren.
That is what you call a hero. Thank you, James Harrison, for your lifetime of selfless giving.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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