The parents of West Point cadet Peter Zhu asked a state court judge if they could have permission to retrieve sperm from their son Friday after he was fatally injured in a skiing accident at West Point.
The 21-year-old was announced brain dead following the accident that fractured his spine and cut off oxygen to his brain, reported NBC News.
“We are desperate to have a small piece of Peter that might live on and continue to spread the joy and happiness that Peter brought to all of our lives,” his parent’s wrote in the documents filed at the Westchester County Court. (RELATED: West Point Posthumously Accepts Fallen Parkland JROTC Student)
His parents argued that the procedure needed to be done immediately before his organs were removed for donation. According to the parents, Peter Zhu had a dream of having five children one day. If they don’t get to keep his sperm his parents say “it will be impossible to carry on our family’s lineage, and our family name will die.”
The court did have Westchester Medical Center retrieve the sperm, but are asking it to be stored until the court hearing March 21.
This case isn’t the first of its kind. In 2009, a 21-year-old man died after falling during a bar fight in Austin, Texas. His mom fought to have his sperm collected, citing it was his dream to have three children NBC reported.