I get that when someone in your family passes away, you want their bloodline to carry on but this is WAY too far in my opinion!
21 year-old West Point cadet, Peter Zhu, tragically passed away due to a skiing accident and his parents apparently wanted his sperm frozen during the organ donation process.
Supreme Court Justice John Colangelo’s ruling, dated Thursday, gives Peter Zhu’s parents the ability to attempt conception with a surrogate mother using their late son’s sperm. The judge said Zhu’s parents have not decided whether they will try to use it.
Zhu, of Concord, California, died after a ski accident in February at West Point. His parents received court permission to have his sperm retrieved and frozen at the same time he underwent organ donation surgery, but the judge waited until last week to rule on whether they could attempt reproduction. The sperm is preserved at a sperm bank.
Colangelo said he found no restrictions in state or federal law. He noted that few courts have addressed the issue of posthumous reproduction, but those who have addressed it used the decedent’s intent as a deciding factor.
Peter left no written intention regarding the use of his genetic material for procreation after his death, Colangelo said. But he said Peter's parents testified regarding conversations where he talked of his dream of having several children and the responsibility he felt to carry on his cultural and family legacy. Zhu’s military advisor at West Point also testified that Zhu had stated a goal of having several children during mentoring sessions.