‘Man With the Golden Arm’ is Finally Retiring After Saving the Lives of Over 2 Million Babbies

First topic message reminder :

After 60 years of saving lives, James Harrison is finally retiring from his position as “the man with the golden arm.”

The affectionate nickname comes from homage to the Australian senior’s astonishing blood donor track record and the game-changing effect that his donations have had on his country. Because of a rare antibody that is found in Harrison’s blood, his donations have directly contributed to saving over 2.4 million Australian babies.

Harrison, now 81 years old, didn’t always know that his blood literally had the power to save lives. When he was 14 years old, he had to undergo chest surgery and the resulting blood transfusion saved his life – so he vowed to become a donor once he turned 18 (even though he was afraid of needles.)

After a few years of donating, doctors were shocked to find that his blood contained an antibody that directly neutralizes rhesus disease: a dangerous condition in which a pregnant woman’s blood attacks her unborn child.

According to Jemma Falkenmire of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, more than 17% of Australian women are at risk of developing the condition.

“In Australia, up until about 1967, there were literally thousands of babies dying each year, doctors didn’t know why, and it was awful. Women were having numerous miscarriages and babies were being born with brain damage,” she told CNN in a 2015 interview.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/man-with-golden-arm-retires/

Ask yourself, what have you done to help others? Then be inspired by this man.

veya_victaous wrote:

gelico wrote:


Since hearing about his special biological gift, Harrison has been giving blood every week for the last sixty years, which amounts to roughly 1,100 donations. Not only that, but scientists were then able to use Harrison’s blood to manufacture a life-saving vaccine for the disease called Anti-D.


i dont know what that means quill but is it anything to do with manufacturing something out of it?

they actually use his blood to make the medicine, there are other people with the antibody that they can use too, but Blood donations are low in this country so this guys is a real hero.

https://www.donateblood.com.au/learn/anti-d/james-harrison

Thank you veya.  A simple answer to a simple question, as Vic correctly noted.

As to the other matter, I took umbrage to the way didge was treating eds.  I don't see the point of hurling insults like blocks in return, so my impulse is to try to understand a person.  I think I have sized up didge pretty well over the years, and I shared it with eds so she wouldn't have to bear the insults didge was hurling at her.

Understanding aberrant behavior in others minimizes the need to get into a shit fest with the them. One is less angry toward a person with an objective, diagnosable flaw.  I have sussed out the source of didge's insecurities, and I was turning the conversation into an objective discussion to minimize ed's hurt on a personal basis.

If didge was to listen and learn, so much the better.

Ben Mothafuckin' Reilly wrote:Please, either debate the topic or wrap this up. Let's try to cut out all the squabbling.

Clearly some did not take the time to read your post which is a shame

Anyway, what a remarkable man, to have been able to save millions of babies

Original Quill wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:

gelico wrote:


Since hearing about his special biological gift, Harrison has been giving blood every week for the last sixty years, which amounts to roughly 1,100 donations. Not only that, but scientists were then able to use Harrison’s blood to manufacture a life-saving vaccine for the disease called Anti-D.


i dont know what that means quill but is it anything to do with manufacturing something out of it?

they actually use his blood to make the medicine, there are other people with the antibody that they can use too, but Blood donations are low in this country so this guys is a real hero.

https://www.donateblood.com.au/learn/anti-d/james-harrison

Thank you veya.  A simple answer to a simple question, as Vic correctly noted.

As to the other matter, I took umbrage to the way didge was treating eds.  I don't see the point of hurling insults like blocks in return, so my impulse is to try to understand a person.  I think I have sized up didge pretty well over the years, and I shared it with eds so she wouldn't have to bear the insults didge was hurling at her.

Understanding aberrant behavior in others minimizes the need to get into a shit fest with the them. One is less angry toward a person with an objective, diagnosable flaw.  I have sussed out the source of didge's insecurities, and I was turning the conversation into an objective discussion to minimize ed's hurt on a personal basis.

If didge was to listen and learn, so much the better.

  asking for the impossible