SHARE

After the death of their 21-year-old son, the parents of West Point cadet Peter Zhu were permitted to retrieve his sperm in hopes that “a small piece of Peter…might live on,” the Army Times reports.

  • Zhu, member of the class of 2019 and president of the Cadet Medical Society, was declared brain dead last week after a skiing accident on February 23rd.
  • According to the Army Times, his parents Monica and Yongmin Zhu asked a state judge “for permission to retrieve his sperm before his organs were removed.” The judge allowed it and the Westchester Medical Center retrieved the sperm and is storing it until a court hearing on March 21st.
  • The Zhu's said in their filing, according to the Army Times, that when their son passed, “our entire world turned upside down. … 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.”
  • Brig. Gen. Steve Gilland, commander of cadets at West Point, said per the Army Times that Peter “was one of the top cadets in the Class of 2019, very well-known and a friend to all. … He embodied the ideals of the Corps of Cadets and its motto of Duty, Honor, Country and all who knew Peter will miss him.”

SEE NEXT: A Fallen Cadet Lived His Ideals To The End. What About The Rest Of Us?

WATCH ALSO: Jim Mattis Addresses U.S. Military Academy Graduates

Haley Britzky
Haley Britzky

Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services.  Contact the author here.

Army
Branch
Region & Country
United States