James in a Jar: A Legacy Beyond the Needle

This episode tells the remarkable story of James Harrison, an Australian who began donating blood after lifesaving transfusions at 14 and went on to give plasma 1,173 times. His rare antibodies helped the Australian Red Cross produce Anti D, a preventative treatment that transformed outcomes for Rh-incompatible pregnancies. Over six decades Harrison quietly supplied plasma used in treatments that are credited with helping some 2.4 million babies in Victoria and drastically reducing newborn deaths.