Indeed commendable. More: https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/final-donation-for-man-whose-blood-helped-save-2-4-million-babies-20180511-p4zerp.html
Mr Harrison naturally produces the rare combination of RhD-negative blood and Rh+ antibodies, making him the ideal donor.
John Shakespeare
“Every ampule of Anti-D ever made in Australia has James in it,” said Robyn Barlow the Rh program coordinator who recruited James, the program’s first donor.
“Since the very first mother received her dose at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1967.
“It’s an enormous thing ... He has saved millions of babies. I cry just thinking about it,” she said.
Jemma Falkenmire at the Australian Red Cross Blood Donor Service said “very few people have the these antibodies in such strong concentrations.
“His body produces a lot of them and when he donates his body produces more,” Ms Falkenmire said.
Scientists suspect this has something to do with the 13 units of blood transfusions he received after undergoing major chest surgery when he was 14 years old...
Roughly 17 per cent of pregnant women receive Anti-D, including Mr Harrison’s own daughter...
“He really is remarkable,” Ms Ismay says, “keeping our babies safe.”
Ms Barlow agrees. “We’ll never see his kind again ... that he has been well and fit and his veins strong enough to continue to donate for so long is very, very rare,” she said.
Australia’s Anti-D program is wholly dependent on just 160 donors. Recruiting new donors is a laborious task.
Attempts to create a synthetic version has so far failed.
Did they transfuse Rh Positive blood during his surgery? That's the only reason he would make Anti-D. 13 units is a lot - must have been a massive transfusion protocol where they automatically switched him to Rh Positive Blood.