[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
When Harrison was 14, he got sick and had to have one of his lungs removed.
The grueling process involved a three-month hospital stay, 100 stitches and nearly two gallons of donated blood, he told NPR. It inspired him to donate his own later — despite his aversion to needles.
“I was always looking forward to donating, right from the operation, because I don’t know how many people it took to save my life,” he said. “I never met them, didn’t know them.”
In 1954, as soon as he hit the legal age of 18, Harrison started giving blood and plasma.
Scientists discovered the anti-D treatment for HDFN about a decade later, and Harrison soon learned his blood contained the rare life-saving antibody — which doctors believe has to do with the blood he received years earlier.
Once Harrison learned he possessed anti-D, Lifeblood says he was “happy to continue to donate and switch over to plasma donation in order to help as many people as possible.”
“I was prepared and wanted to give something back,” Harrison said. “And I’ve been donating for 60 years.”
Lifeblood says more than 3 million doses of anti-D containing Harrison’s blood have been issued to Australian mothers since 1967. That long list of recipients includes members of his own family.
Harrison’s daughter, Tracey Mellowship, was among the women who received the injection while pregnant.
“As an anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations,” she said in a statement, adding that her dad was “immensely proud” to have welcomed two great-grandchildren in his final years.
Harrison’s contributions didn’t just enable his family to grow, but to give back themselves.
“The whole family are blood donors,” Harrison told NPR. “And that makes you feel proud, too.”
In 2011, his grandson Scott made his first donation — seated right next to Harrison, who was making his 1,000th.
His late wife Barbara was a blood donor as well. Harrison kept donating “even in his darkest days,” including after her death, Lifeblood says.
Mellowship said her dad was proud to have saved so many lives “without any cost or pain.”
“It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness,” Mellowship said. “He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own.”
Harrison officially retired at age 81, the maximum age for blood donations under Australian law.
He made his last donation in May 2018, surrounded by half a dozen grateful mothers holding babies who benefited from the anti-D program.
From the blood center recliner, Harrison bemoaned his forced retirement, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that “I’d keep on going if they let me.”
James Harrison, passed away on Feb 17th, 2025, at age 88.
(*) Anti-D is crucial because it prevents hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), a potentially life-threatening condition. It is particularly important for Rh-negative mothers who are carrying an Rh-positive baby. If fetal red blood cells enter the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy or delivery, her immune system may recognize them as foreign and produce antibodies (including anti-D) against them. These antibodies can cross the placenta in future pregnancies and attack the red blood cells of an Rh-positive fetus, leading to anemia, jaundice, or even stillbirth.
To prevent this, Rh-negative mothers are given an anti-D immunoglobulin injection, which destroys fetal Rh-positive cells before the mother’s immune system can produce its own antibodies. This intervention has significantly reduced the incidence of HDFN and improved pregnancy outcomes.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/03/nx-s1-5316163/james-harrison-blood-donor
WORD BANK:
grueling /ˈɡruː.ə.lɪŋ/ [C1] (adj): gian khổ
stitch /stɪtʃ/ [B2] (n): mũi khâu
donate /ˈdoʊ.neɪt/ [B2] (v): hiến tặng
aversion /əˈvɝː.ʒən/ [C2] (n): nỗi sợ, sự ác cảm
look forward to doing sth /lʊk ˈfɔːr.wɚd tuː/ [B1] (v): trông ngóng làm gì đó
operation /ˌɑː.pəˈreɪ.ʃən/ [B2] (n): ca phẫu thuật
plasma /ˈplæz.mə/ (n): huyết tương
antibody /ˈæn.t̬iˌbɑː.di/ (n): kháng thể
have to do with sth /hæv tuː duː wɪð/ (v): liên quan đến cái gì
possess /pəˈzes/ [C1] (v): sở hữu
recipient /rɪˈsɪp.i.ənt/ [C1] (n): người nhận
inject /ɪnˈdʒekt/ [B2] (v): tiêm
injection /ɪnˈdʒek.ʃən/ [B2] (n): sự tiêm
pregnant /ˈpreɡ.nənt/ [B1] (adj): mang thai
immensely /ɪˈmens.li/ [B2] (adv): vô cùng
officially /əˈfɪʃ.əl.i/ [B2] (adv): chính thức
grateful /ˈɡreɪt.fəl/ [B1] (adj): biết ơn
benefit from sb/sth /ˈben.ə.fɪt frʌm/ [B2] (v): hưởng lợi từ ai/cái gì
recliner /rɪˈklaɪ.nɚ/ (n): ghế nghiêng, ghế tựa
bemoan sth /bɪˈmoʊn/ (v): tiếc nuối về điều gì
pass away /pæs əˈweɪ/ [B2] (v): qua đời
hemolytic disease /ˌhiː.moʊˈlɪt.ɪk dɪˈziːz/ (n): bệnh tán huyết
fetus /ˈfiː.t̬əs/ [C1] (n): thai nhi
fetal /ˈfiː.t̬əl/ (adj): thuộc về thai nhi
life-threatening /ˈlaɪfˌθret.ən.ɪŋ/ [C1] (adj): đe dọa tính mạng
delivery /dɪˈlɪv.ɚ.i/ [B2] (n): sinh nở
immune system /ɪˈmjuːn ˈsɪs.təm/ [B2] (n): hệ miễn dịch
foreign /ˈfɔːr.ən/ [B2] (adj): lạ, ngoại lai
placenta /pləˈsen.t̬ə/ (n): nhau thai
anemia /əˈniː.mi.ə/ [C1] (n): thiếu máu
jaundice /ˈdʒɑːn.dɪs/ (n): vàng da
stillbirth /ˈstɪl.bɝːθ/ (n): thai chết lưu
incidence of sth /ˈɪn.sɪ.dəns ʌv/ [C1] (n): tỷ lệ mắc bệnh
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