He kept coming through everything. Even after Barbara died, Lifeblood says, he kept donating "even in his darkest days."
By May 2018, he was 81. Under Australian law, that was the maximum age to donate.
James made his last donation.
"I'd keep on going if they let me."
— James Harrison
He had given 1,173 times, over 64 years.
For years, he held the world record for donating the most blood plasma. He hoped someone would take it from him.
"I hope it's a record that somebody breaks, because it will mean they are dedicated to the cause."
— James Harrison
In 2022, an American named Brett Cooper did.
On February 17, 2025, James Harrison died peacefully in his sleep in a nursing home in New South Wales. He was 88.
Lifeblood's CEO called him "a remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving."