Mr. Harrison’s blood contains a rare antibody required to make an innovative medicine called Anti-D, which protects babies from hemolytic disease, a potentially deadly condition. Officials at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service said Mr. Harrison’s blood has protected more than 2.4 million babies from acquiring the disease.
“Saving one baby is good. Saving 2 million is hard to get your head around, but if they claim that’s what it is, I’m glad to have done it,” Mr. Harrison told The Times.
However, Mr. Harrison made his 1,173rd — and final — blood donation May 11 after Red Cross medical officials said he should stop donating to protect his own health.
“The end of an era,” Mr. Harrison told The Times. “It was sad because I felt like I could keep going.”
About 17 percent of expectant mothers in Australia require Anti-D to keep their babies healthy. The antibodies used in the treatment only come from a small group of 160 donors — like Mr. Harrison — who carry the antibody in their blood.
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