1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 2: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh and there's 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 2: Chuck and it's just us And that's okay because we're 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 2: gonna get bloody here on this episode of Stuff you 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 2: Shouldn't Know. 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: I just had a cockroach crawl over my barefoot. 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: I've got a cockroach story for you. First of all, 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: how are you doing? Be okay with that cockroach experience 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: you just had? 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: It's it's not my favorite thing. 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 2: Secondly, why are you barefoot? We're working? 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: Oh? You know, I don't put on cheese onless I 13 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: have to. 14 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: Thirdly, you want to hear my cockroach story? Uh? 15 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: Yes, Although I will quickly say that's not the worst. 16 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: The worst cockroach story I've ever had is when I 17 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: saw one as I was turning out the light fall 18 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: from a ceiling above my bed. And then the light 19 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: went off, and then. 20 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: Right you heard the cockroach go nighty night, what's yours? 21 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 2: It just happened today. I don't know if this is 22 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 2: my worst or not. It's pretty bad. I went to 23 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 2: go pour coffee from our coffee pot and a roach 24 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: spilled out along with the coffee into my mug. It 25 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 2: was like in the port, the top that you can 26 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: take off. He was in the little spout. Apparently. 27 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: I just remembered I had the worst one, because I 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: think this tops yours. I drank a cockroach in some 29 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: red wine one time. 30 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 2: That's the worst one. There you go. Could you feel 31 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: it crawling around in your gullet. 32 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: Just swimming through the red wine in my mouth? And 33 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: I just said it was And I'm sure everyone just 34 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 1: heard me stomping in the back. 35 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 2: Tell me you didn't, Dude, you want me. 36 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: To get up in the middle of a recording and 37 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: save a cockroach, I'd wait, Yeah, no, I don't save cockroaches. 38 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: I don't feel bad about it either. We've talked about 39 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: this before. I think please tick, mosquitoes, cockroaches, everything. 40 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,639 Speaker 2: Always on fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. I'll leave alone. 41 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: I know you've claimed that many times. We all know 42 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: you're better. 43 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: I saw a cartoon. It was it was the Annual 44 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: Meeting of Insects people like, and they switched to the 45 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 2: next panel and it was just a butterfly sitting alone 46 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: at a conference table. 47 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: That's cute, but you know, you can't save the cockroach 48 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: if they just crawled into the cup. I might think 49 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: about it, but they don't. 50 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: Okay, I disagree. I try to get them with a 51 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 2: paper towel, lightly pick them up and throw them outside 52 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: and say, Sionara. 53 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: Sure they suffer no damage? 54 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: Probably not. They're pretty tough. Okay, this one was all right, 55 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 2: let's get let's get that's terrible. Let's get to this 56 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 2: episode because this is a profile in courage and heroism 57 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: of an everyday guy who found out he was a 58 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: little more special than the rest of us and he 59 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 2: put it to good use. Inness that's right, James harris Son. 60 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 2: Is that? Am I saying that correctly? 61 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: I think so. Australia's own James Harrison, who is probably 62 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: the most prolific blood donor in maybe human history. He 63 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: donated blood one and seventy three times over a sixty 64 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: year period and is credited with saving the lives of 65 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: two point four million babies. Yeah, referred to as the 66 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: man with a Golden Arm. And we need to back 67 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 1: up a second. You can either pause and go listen 68 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 1: to our episode on blood types. 69 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: That was a live one, right, I think so, or. 70 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: You can listen to a quick explanation of what RH 71 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: disease is and what our AH incompatibility is because when 72 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: you have a blood type you've you've heard now we 73 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: know that you can be like positive or negative, like 74 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: oh positive, oh negative? That negative or positive is your 75 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: r H factor so named after the the r H 76 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: reesis monkey inadvertently not correctly named. And so that's a 77 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: rh factor. That's it's a protein found on the outside 78 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: of your red blood cells and then you either have 79 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: it or you don't. It's an inherited thing. R eighty 80 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: five percent of babies that are born or are H positive, 81 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: which means they have that protein, but you either have 82 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: it or you don't, and that becomes incompatible when it 83 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: doesn't match up with what your mom has. 84 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, that's a real problem because if your mom 85 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 2: is RIGE negative, meaning she doesn't have those proteins, her 86 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 2: body's never been exposed to those proteins. So when she 87 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 2: has a baby developing in her stomach her womb I 88 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: guess you'd call it, and some of those red blood 89 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 2: cells across the placental barrier, her body flips out. It's like, 90 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 2: what is this? We need to create some antibodies to 91 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 2: attack this, and those antibodies attack the red blood cells, 92 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 2: the protein on the red blood red blood cells, the 93 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 2: rh factor and and tear them apart. And that is 94 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 2: not what you want happening to your feet as well. 95 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: It's developing in your room. 96 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: No, it's not. And just to be clear, it's not 97 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: it's not a problem at all to have a negative 98 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: blood type. Is just this incompatibility in pregnancy is a problem. 99 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: And on the first pregnancy this can happen and everything 100 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: is likely going to be okay. It's the subsequent pregnancies 101 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: that are the issue. And so to prevent this from happening, 102 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: the pregnant person is giving immunoglob globulin. I have such 103 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: a hard time saying that. And that's that prevents those 104 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: antibodies from forming and attacking. And it's a it's a 105 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: done in the way of a plasma injection called anti 106 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: d right. 107 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 2: And the reason why the first birth is okay is 108 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: because the mom's body is still generating antibodies because again 109 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 2: these are brand spank and new for her immune system. 110 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 2: And so when the first baby comes out, her immune 111 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 2: systems like, yeah, that's right, walk away, walk away. And 112 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 2: then when the second baby comes it's ready, and that's 113 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 2: when it really becomes a problem and it can result 114 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: in and very frequently results in stillborn babies newborn deaths 115 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: as well. So if it wasn't bad enough, just add 116 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 2: dying babies to it and it suddenly becomes much more urgent. 117 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: And it's not that rare either as the thing. 118 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, they didn't even know about this until 119 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine, the RH factor. Before that, it was 120 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: just the ABO system. But there was a woman who 121 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: had given birth to a stillborn baby, was given a 122 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: transfusion from her husband and had an adverse reaction despite 123 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: having a matching blood type. So that's when scientists figured 124 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: it out, like, oh hey, there's another factor here, and 125 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 1: it's this negative and positive RH factor. And another Australian, 126 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: a guy named John Gorman, a doctor, was working in 127 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: blood banking, and this was in nineteen fifty eight. He said, hey, 128 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: I think that if we give these mothers an RH antibody, 129 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: they wouldn't make any of that antibody themselves. So it's 130 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: kind of like a weird reverse treatment. 131 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, And it's really worth saying it's weird because 132 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 2: they don't know still to this day, exactly how it 133 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 2: happens or how it protects developing fetuses infants. They think 134 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: the best guess is that these antibodies that they consider 135 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: passive antibodies, they don't attack the red blood cells of 136 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 2: the developing child. Instead, they actually attached to it an 137 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: active protective bayer layer, essentially like obi Wan saying to 138 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 2: the mom's immune system, these are not the red blood 139 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: cells that you seek, not the factor that you're interested in. 140 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 2: Beat it, in the words of Obi Wan, like I said. 141 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: So, doctor Gorman and his research partner they tested this 142 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: idea out on prisoners, on male prisoners at Sing Sing 143 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: Prison in New York, injecting that RH negative into them 144 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: with anybodies and then measuring the response, and they found 145 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: that at worked and that it was safe. Obviously not 146 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: the most ethical thing theoretically, I guess these were volunteers, 147 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: but you know how that goes. But the question still remained, 148 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: like will it save a baby? And it turns out 149 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: that his sister in law, Kath was a nurse and 150 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: was RH negative and his brother, her husband, was RH positive, 151 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: and they were like, hey, will be the guinea pigs 152 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: in this one. Let's do it. 153 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. So the problem was is that John Gorman's brother 154 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: and sister in law. Kath and Frank lived in London 155 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 2: at the time, and Gorman, like you said, was in 156 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: America even though he was Australian. It's a brain buster, 157 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 2: I know. But the upshot of it is that Gorman 158 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 2: sent this anti d inoculation essentially that he was testing 159 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 2: out to the Gormans in London. They had to go 160 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 2: to Heathrow to pick it up. John Gorman had to 161 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: get it to them so quickly. He didn't even fill 162 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 2: out paperwork. He just sent it like it was yeah, 163 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: I don't know, like a deodorant, a push pop or 164 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 2: something like that. Push, yeah, deodorant great. And they had 165 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 2: to go to Heathrow to pick it up. That's how 166 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 2: time urgent this was, and if there was, if it 167 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 2: wasn't urgent before, it was when they got to Heathrow, 168 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: because Kath went into labor when they were picking up 169 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 2: this injection. 170 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, so they were somehow managed to talk this doctor 171 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: into administering this treatment, which that's probably the most surprising 172 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: thing that this doctor went along with it, but that 173 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: doctor did, and Kath Gorman had a healthy son, and 174 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: then she had another healthy son a year later after 175 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: giving this injection and they were like, hey, it worked, 176 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: and now it's given to women in the twenty eighth 177 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: week of pregnancy and if the baby has found out 178 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: to be RH positive, given again within seventy two hours 179 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: of giving birth. 180 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think one of the other things that stood 181 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 2: out to me about Katherine Frank Gorman's story is that 182 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 2: the doctor who gave them the injection was persuaded to 183 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: do so also by a team of a rival team 184 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 2: from Liverpool who were also working on some sort of 185 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: antidote to RH factor disease. So they basically said like, 186 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 2: this is actually going to launch John Gorman into the 187 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 2: lead here, even though we're competing to come up with this, 188 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: but seriously, you should you should inject her with this. 189 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 2: It's going to be great. 190 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 191 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 2: So they put saving babies before their own career. 192 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: That's great. Yeah. I think Gorman ended up saying that 193 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: it was the most cost effective drug ever produced in 194 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: fifty years. There have been no fatalities from this treatment, 195 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: and he said it saves about a billion dollars every 196 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: year by preventing high risk RH pregnancies. 197 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it was really something. The thing is, you 198 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 2: still need to this day human blood to make the 199 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 2: anti d immunoglobin. Yeah, globulin, it is hard to say, chuck, yeah, inoculation. 200 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, plasma technically yeah. 201 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 2: Yes, And this is where James Harrison comes in. But 202 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 2: he doesn't come in yet, dear people, because you were 203 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: going to have to pay through the nose to get 204 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 2: to him by listening to these commercials. Okay, everybody, thanks 205 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,959 Speaker 2: for listening to those commercials. We're back and it's time 206 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 2: that we really introduce you to James Harrison. He was 207 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 2: an amazing guy, but I feel like we should go 208 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: back to before he was a full guy, when he 209 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 2: was just a fourteen year old, because he to win 210 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 2: a really big time surgery and I could not find 211 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 2: out why, but he had to have an entire lung 212 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 2: removed again at age fourteen. 213 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's not a lot about the guy. Even when 214 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: you Reada's obituary, the just details are scant, and I 215 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: sort of feel like he probably wanted it that way 216 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: as a kind of a low key awesome dude. But yeah, 217 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: at fourteen, he had a lung removed. He was in 218 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: the hospital for three months and during that time he 219 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: required almost two gallons of blood, thirteen units of donor blood, 220 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: a human adult has about ten units of blood, so 221 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: a fourteen year ol wouldn't even have that much. So 222 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: basically a full plus transfusion of his blood that saved 223 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: his life and comes out of it as a fourteen 224 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: year old, and his dad explains what happened, and he's like, 225 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: I know my calling, Like when I come out of 226 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: this and I'm able to be old enough to give 227 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: blood and plasma, like that's what I'm going to do 228 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: with my life. 229 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, his dad was already a blood donor too, so 230 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 2: I'm I'm sure it was gratifying for him and James Harrison. 231 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 2: I guess he had to wait a few years before 232 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 2: he was eligible to donate blood, but once he did, 233 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 2: he started doing it right off the bat, right when 234 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 2: he could. But it took another eleven years. I guess 235 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 2: when he was in his early thirties, he has something 236 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 2: like that, we're about to be thirty before the doctors 237 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 2: were like, hey, hey, this guy's something special. He's got 238 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 2: some dynamite plasma because they think when he got all 239 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 2: of that blood he was RH negative, but he got 240 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 2: a lot of RH positive blood and his body started 241 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 2: making RH positive antibodies that can just knock your socks off. 242 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 2: So this guy, James Harrison, when he was fourteen, essentially 243 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 2: acted inadvertently as a human test tube or Petrie dish 244 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: where they put together RH negative and RH positive, shook 245 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 2: it up, and this guy started making antibodies for the 246 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 2: rest of his life that would go on to save 247 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 2: baby Yeah. 248 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 1: I mean, his stuff was so good and he was 249 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 1: so prolific and dedicated, and we'll talk more about that. 250 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: There was a doctor that said in the Sydney Morning 251 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: Morning Herald in twenty eighteen that every ampuel of anti 252 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 1: d ever made in Australia has James in it. 253 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, primo stuff. 254 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: Pretty cool. So the two point four million babies he 255 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: saved not an exact number obviously, but they basically did 256 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: a calculation where they analyzed birth data from nineteen sixty 257 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: four moving forward, accounted for the people who got this 258 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: antid treatment, and then weighed overall mortality risk from RH 259 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: disease and came up with that number two and a 260 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: half million babies. 261 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, because I mean, when you donate blood, you do 262 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 2: save lives, but you don't necessarily save babies lives like 263 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 2: James Harrison was a baby saving machine, that's right. 264 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: They tried a synthetic version, but they're still not there yet, 265 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: so they they're still reliant on people, you know, donating 266 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: their blood and plasma. But the synthetic that they've been 267 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: working on it they call it James in a Jar, 268 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: which is kind of cute. 269 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 2: As well, right for sure. So, like you said, it 270 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 2: is kind of tough to find much about James Harrison's 271 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 2: life other than his blood donation. Laura Claus and doctor 272 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 2: Claw helped us with this one, and she found out 273 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 2: that he was a clerk in the Regional Railway Authority 274 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: and his wife, his beloved wife, Barbara, who died in 275 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 2: two thousand and five, was a teacher and Harrison's dedication 276 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 2: was such that when they went on vacation. Whenever they 277 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 2: went on vacation, they would putts around Australia in a camper. 278 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: He would find the closest blood donation clinic and go 279 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 2: donate blood. And the reason why he did that so 280 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 2: often was because with plasma donations, your body regenerates the 281 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 2: plasma so quickly, I think within forty eight hours that 282 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 2: in some cases, in some countries, you can donate plasma 283 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 2: couple of times a week rather than the I don't. 284 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 2: I can't remember. It's several weeks, if not a month 285 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: or more that you have to wait to donate whole 286 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 2: blood like the regular kind. 287 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean you have to wait two weeks for 288 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: plasma even But he wanted to donate so frequently they 289 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 1: would been the rules and like they said that, he 290 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: would come in at day like ten and eleven sometimes 291 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: and be like, come on, just take my plasma. I'll 292 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: be fine, And they did oftentimes. And they don't get 293 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: paid for it. You can get paid. It's a sort 294 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: of a I don't know how common it is, but 295 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: it's an old trick if you're really broke and can't 296 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: make rent to sell plasma in the United States, because 297 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: you can get paid for donating plasma. But he didn't 298 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: get paid for any of this either. 299 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 2: No, we should also say if you've never donated plasma, 300 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 2: but you've donated blood, it's it's slightly different. Donating blood 301 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 2: can take fifteen minutes. Maybe donating plasma is a whole 302 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 2: thing where they take your blood out just like they 303 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 2: do with whole blood, and then they run it through 304 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 2: a machine that separates the plasma from the platelets and 305 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 2: the red and white blood. Cells and returns the red 306 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 2: and white blood cells to you, and the whole process 307 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 2: takes about an hour rather than a quarter of an hour, 308 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 2: and it has all the other stuff the lead up 309 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 2: in the recovery that a whole blood donation takes. So 310 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: when you take that into account, James Harrison making these donations, 311 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 2: it's just even that much more removal worthy. 312 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like, I mean one of these guys said, it's 313 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: like a half a day basically when you count in 314 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: travel and all that. Yeah, so if he donate, you know, 315 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: let's say that's like four hours, and if he donated 316 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: you know eleven, I mean how many times? Was it 317 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: eleven hundred plus? Yeah, Like that's just thousands and thousands 318 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: of hours of his life where he's trying to donate 319 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: even more frequently, Like, hey, it's been ten days, get 320 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: me in there, I'm ready for sure. 321 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,439 Speaker 2: I'm sure. His coworkers were like, oh, James gets to 322 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 2: take a four hour lunch break every couple of weeks, 323 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 2: and his supervisors like, let me tell you about James 324 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 2: and what he's doing with this four hour lunch. 325 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: Exactly, you like, saving babies. 326 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 2: Right. 327 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: So he and his wife, Barbara had a daughter and 328 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: two grandchildren, and the daughter was an anti DE recipient herself, 329 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: and she made a big statement after he died as 330 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: an ANTID recipient myself, he has left the family behind 331 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: that may not have existed without his precious donations. And 332 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: I believe a granddaughter in law, Rebecca Mellowship, also got 333 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: the anti D treatment. So he even furthered his own 334 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: family by helping out his daughter and granddaughter in law. 335 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess he had four great grandchildren when he 336 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 2: died this past February in twenty twenty five. Yeah, and yeah, 337 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 2: like she said, like you can make a really good 338 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 2: case that these people would not necessarily exist without him 339 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 2: donating a very special plasma. And this was like not, 340 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 2: It's not like his family wasn't aware of this, Like 341 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 2: this is a big celebrated thing, not just with his 342 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 2: family but in Australia. And so his grandson Scott turned 343 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 2: sixteen and said, I want to join the family racket 344 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 2: and start donating blood too. So the first time he 345 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 2: gave blood, he went with his grandfather took him with him, 346 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 2: and so Scott's first time was his grandfather's one thousandth 347 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 2: donation too, and apparently the whole family donates blood, which 348 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,399 Speaker 2: I mean imagine being the one family member who was like, no, 349 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 2: I don't feel like it. 350 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: Never everybody, oh man. 351 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 2: Is donating it. But you know there's one you know, there's. 352 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: One family shame. His wife passed away, Barbara, in two 353 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: thousand and five, so very dark times for him, and 354 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: he pressed through and did not let that disrupt his 355 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: donation schedule. So for the last twenty years of his 356 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: life as a widower, he he you know, kept giving 357 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: that stuff, even though he hated needles, he hated the 358 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: sight of blood, and he had a very low threshold 359 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: for pain. 360 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 2: Yep, there it is our O Henry style ironic twist. Yeah, 361 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 2: the man who he gave blood one and seventy three 362 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 2: times to save two point four million babies was afraid of. 363 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: Needles, that's right. And he had a favorite arm too, right. 364 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, his right arm. He said at some point that 365 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 2: he feels like he even admitted it could be placebo effect, 366 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 2: but he can feel them injecting the ivy into his 367 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: left arm, but he doesn't feel it in his right arm. 368 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 2: So out of those eleven hundred and seventy three times, 369 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 2: only about ten were in his left arm. 370 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, should we take a break. 371 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 2: We should, all. 372 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: Right, We'll take a break and finish up right after this. 373 00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: All right, So we're back to talk a little bit 374 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: more about the dedication of James Harrison, the most prolific 375 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: blood donor in plasma donor in history, even in his 376 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: older years, because he gave until he was eighty one. 377 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: In twenty eighteen, I finally said you got to stop, 378 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: and he didn't want to stop, but they're like, you know, 379 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 1: for your own health, you can't keep doing this. But 380 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: up until that point, he would ride the train an 381 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: hour each way to go to this donation center that 382 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 1: was the closest one, or at least that was the 383 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,439 Speaker 1: regular one that he became accustomed to. And he was 384 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: really broken up. He said, it's a sad day for me, 385 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: the end of a long run. I keep going on 386 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: if they let me. And this is just I have 387 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: a hard time even getting through the sentence. But the 388 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: last time he gave the blood, he was surrounded by 389 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: moms and babies that he had saved. 390 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. Incredibly, pretty amazing. Yeah, apparently even though he was 391 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 2: something of a celebrity at least that blood blood banks 392 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 2: in Australia, I think, well, beyond that too. He was 393 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,239 Speaker 2: very unassuming in that he never walked in, you know, 394 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 2: wearing sunglasses and a scarf. 395 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: And then with the Golden arm is. 396 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 2: Here exactly and just wearing his jacket over his shoulders. 397 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: Right. 398 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. He instead would just kind of chitchat other people 399 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 2: who are giving donations and kind of telling them like, hey, 400 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 2: you're doing something great. But he didn't say and I 401 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,400 Speaker 2: should know because I'd saved two point four million babies. 402 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 2: He was not that kind of person. I feel like 403 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 2: this would be a different episode if he had been 404 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 2: that kind of person. It'd still be worth talking about, 405 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 2: but maybe less celebratory. I don't know, but this guy 406 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,479 Speaker 2: doesn't seem to have really been bad at all in 407 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 2: any way, shape or form, and we really looked. 408 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: Well, here's a couple of quotes. It becomes quite humbling 409 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: when they say, oh, you've done this, or you've done that, 410 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 1: or you're a hero. It's something I can do. It's 411 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 1: one of my talents, probably my only talent, is that 412 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: I can be a blood donor and that saving one 413 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: baby is good. Saving two million is hard to get 414 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: your head around. But if they claim that's what it is, 415 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: I'm glad. To have done it. 416 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,199 Speaker 2: You just imagine every one of these quotes. He's got 417 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 2: his hands in his pockets and he's just kind of 418 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 2: kicking around some pebbles with his feet looking down. 419 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna get a shirt that says what would 420 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: James Harrison do? 421 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 2: Right man? One of my favorite shirts of all time 422 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 2: is that what would Jason Do? It's like a hockey 423 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 2: mask instead of the Jay. 424 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: That's funny. 425 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 2: Just the implications behind the whole thing make it even 426 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 2: funnier too. 427 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: You know, yeah, what would Jason do? He'd gill? 428 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 2: He just slaughter everybody with No. I love that T shirt, 429 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 2: I guess is what I'm trying to say. 430 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: Do you have it? 431 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 2: No, I've looked before and I can't find the exact one. 432 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 2: There's a guy who we worked with who wore one 433 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 2: to work once, and I was shirt's awesome but also 434 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 2: unsettling in the office setting. I can't remember his name. 435 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 2: He was a big guy and he looked like the 436 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 2: kind he would wear that shirt. He looked like he 437 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 2: was clearly into horror movies. Okay, he was strapping large dude. 438 00:23:58,840 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 2: I cannot remember his name. 439 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,399 Speaker 1: He's a good guy, Okay, was this way back in 440 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 1: the day was his buckhead? 441 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, oh yeah, way back in the day. 442 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, that was back in the times where there were 443 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: so many people working in her office that didn't know 444 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: half of them were. 445 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 2: You would have interacted with this guy. He was one 446 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 2: of the writers. 447 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: Oh not, I remember that guy? 448 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, that guy. 449 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, the big dude. Yes, like just very tall, big guy. 450 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 2: Yes. 451 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: Yeah. Do you look like a football player? 452 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:27,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, kind of. Do you remember that shirt? No? 453 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,120 Speaker 1: But man, what a vague memory of that guy. I'd 454 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,439 Speaker 1: totally remember. Jerry would know. But she's not here, No, 455 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: she's not here as usual. So back to James Harrison, 456 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: what would he do? Sadly he would eventually pass, but 457 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: he lived to be eighty eight and like you mentioned, 458 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: he just died recently in February of this year, but 459 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: before we passed in nineteen ninety nine, which means his 460 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: wife Barbara got to see this. He was also a 461 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: blood donor, by the way, quite regular. 462 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 2: Sure. 463 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: He received the Medal of Order in Australia for his efforts. 464 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 2: That's amazing. Again, almost two and a half million babies 465 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 2: just saved by this guy. And he's not the only one. 466 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 2: He's one of just a small number of people that 467 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 2: turns out who are able to donate blood because they 468 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 2: produce the antibody needed to create the antid inoculation. When 469 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 2: this first was realized, I guess shortly after nineteen fifty eight, 470 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 2: a group of women in Winnipeg in Canada got together 471 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,199 Speaker 2: and they became known as the rh Ladies of Winnipeg, 472 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 2: and they started donating plasma to make the Canadian version 473 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 2: of antid wind row. And one of them was a 474 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 2: woman named Mary tell you who had lost three different 475 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 2: babies to RH incompatibility, and she went on to donate 476 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 2: for fifteen years. And again, this is not normal blood. 477 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 2: These people's blood is incredibly special and it saves babies. 478 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's less than two hundred anti D donors in Australia. 479 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: One of those is a woman named Kieran Froes. I 480 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: don't know how you pronounce that froze freeze Freese. Maybe 481 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: is either the osylum or the asyluent. But Kieran is 482 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: a midwife and benefited from the anti D drug during 483 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: her own pregnancies, and she learned that people who had 484 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,679 Speaker 1: the right kind of blood could donate for this, and 485 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: she advocated to be allowed to do so. And apparently 486 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: had to like kind of lobby to be able to 487 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: do it, right. 488 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, because she didn't naturally make the antibodies herself like 489 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 2: other people like James Harrison does. There's a way that 490 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 2: you can actually sensitize people by exposing them to the 491 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 2: antibodies and then over time their body will start making 492 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 2: the antibodies themselves, these protective ones. And that's what she did. 493 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 2: She's like, I want to volunteer to be inoculated with 494 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 2: this stuff so that I can start producing this plasma. 495 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 2: And she had to prove that she was no longer 496 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 2: able to have children. She had to send her medical 497 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 2: records showing her hysterectomy to Lifeblood, the Australian Blood Donation 498 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 2: people before they would even let her like get into 499 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 2: this program. 500 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we can't forget about the people who also 501 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: allow that to happen by contributing to that program despite 502 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: not having that urge negative blood, right, Like, she gets 503 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: those sensitization boosters from people donating their blood to be 504 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: transfused into her and others like her. 505 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, And from what I saw, there was only one 506 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 2: there's one matched donor that donates when they go in 507 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:40,959 Speaker 2: to give blood and they're anonymous. When they go in 508 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 2: to give blood, their blood is taken and given specifically 509 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 2: to Karen Froze or Freeze. So like this person is 510 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 2: it's just cool that they're anonymous too, and that that's 511 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 2: what they're doing. Like that's some pretty niche blood donation. 512 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 2: If you think about it, you know. 513 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, absolutely, and you know that they're they're doing 514 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: the right thing. In Australia. Wealthier countries obviously have a 515 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: better time with this, but very sadly, as you guessed it, 516 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: studies estimate that half the women in the world who 517 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: need treatment don't get it. In developing countries obviously, most 518 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: acutely fifty thousand fetuses and one hundred and fourteen thousand 519 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,880 Speaker 1: newborn sty every year as a result of this rh 520 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: and compatibility who can't get this treatment. And the United 521 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 1: States we don't do a great job donating blood. So 522 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: I'm calling people out and asking you to step up 523 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: to the table into that needle. Sixty two percent of 524 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: the population is eligible to donate, but three percent do so, 525 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: compared to fifty seven percent in Australia that are eligible 526 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: and fourteen percent do so. So they could kick it 527 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 1: up a bit too, but that three percent is shameful. 528 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not totally out of bounds though. With other 529 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 2: industrialized Western countries the UK two point six percent of 530 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 2: the population, donates, four percent in France, and then somewhere 531 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 2: between five and six for Denmark, Germany, Greece and Cyprus. 532 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 2: So yeah, we could definitely do a lot better. It 533 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 2: seems like from what I can tell, I look to 534 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 2: find what country has the most blood donors. From what 535 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 2: I can tell, Australia far and away leads the pack 536 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 2: from the whole world. That's my own research, take it 537 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 2: or leave it. I didn't do any maths, so it 538 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 2: is possible it's accurate, But that seems to be the 539 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 2: highest percentage I could find was Australia's. 540 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: I bet you anything. Old James Harrison has something to 541 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: do with that in the news and story surrounding his. 542 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 2: Efforts, for sure, I would think so too. 543 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: This has spurred me to get out there and do 544 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: this on the RAG too, So I'm going to donate 545 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: some blood next week. 546 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 2: Good for you, buddy. I'm going to get back to 547 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 2: it too. You may introduce me to it, and I've 548 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 2: definitely fallen off so let's go together. We can hold 549 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 2: hands while we donate. Oh, it'd be pretty cute. 550 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: That would be cute. 551 00:29:57,920 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 2: And you know what I'm going to get us matching 552 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 2: with James Harrison's picture on it. 553 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: Very nice. 554 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 2: Okay, well, Chuck said very nice, which is what I 555 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 2: was fishing for, which means also he just triggered listener mail. 556 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, this is I guess, a bit of a 557 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: correction for the heavy metal episode. Hey guys, there are 558 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: a few mistakes that I won't hassle you about. After all, 559 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: I didn't catch anything too significant. However, I should tell 560 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: you that Rob Halford's leather infatuation did not come from 561 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: his time in S and M clubs and bars. In 562 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: his own book, Biblical Heavy Metal Scriptures is a chapter 563 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: called Denman Leather, where he speaks about how, although it 564 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: did spawn a leather fetish, his love for Denemon leather 565 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: came from bands other bands like Saxon, who bore the 566 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: combination and turned it into a heavy metal uniform of sorts. 567 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: He's even quoting him others reckon that I started wearing 568 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: my studs and leather as a means to express my 569 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: repress homosexuality. No, I effing didn't Deneman. Leather has been 570 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: part of metal basically from the beginning. It was a 571 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: visual display of how the originators felt on the inside, 572 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,719 Speaker 1: the way the music sounded, the way they felt rebellious. 573 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: His book is great, by the way, I recommend it 574 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: if you're into ancient metal gods. Speaking on the topic again, 575 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: thank you so much for the three part episode. Guys, 576 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: that has to be a record, right, including the horns episode. 577 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: I call that a triple much love to you all. 578 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: That is from Joshua Ernsberger of Ogden, Utah. 579 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 2: Very nice. Thanks Joshua, thanks for setting us straight. We 580 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 2: appreciate that, especially from another josh You know what I'm saying. 581 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: That's right, and you know what, in your defense, that 582 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: sounds like the kind of thing that is just everywhere 583 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: on the internet. 584 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 2: I saw it everywhere, and I had no reason to 585 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 2: doubt it, sure because I hadn't read Rob Halford's autobiography, 586 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 2: which was just stupid of me. 587 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, you didn't have time. 588 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 2: Sorry, I fell for it. Everybody. If you want to 589 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 2: get in touch with this like Joshua did and set 590 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 2: us straight, you too can send us an email. Send 591 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 2: it off to Stuff Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 592 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 593 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 594 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.